Zhou Lingzhao (left) was commissioned by China Post to design the postal stamp to celebrate the Year of the Dog on the Chinese lunar calendar, which will begin Feb 26. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

Zhou is hailed as a top visual designer of New China. At the age of 30, he and his wife Chen Ruoju crafted the first portrait of late chairman Mao Zedong that was hung on the Tian'anmen Gate, before the inauguration ceremony of the People's Republic of China on Oct 1, 1949.

Zhou was also involved in the designs of the national emblem and a former series of Renminbi notes.

This is his second time to design New Year stamps for China Post. He previously created another Year of the Dog stamp, in 1982. He drew from decorative patterns and a vibrant palette of Chinese ethnic groups.

"He reduced the decorative elements this time, but he adopts a simple and true-to-life style," said daughter Zhou Rong, adding he wants to highlight the physical features and temperament of Chinese indigenous dogs.