Born in 1983 in Yongjia County, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, YE Zhu is a Master of Arts and Crafts of Hainan Province, a council member of the Hainan Arts and Crafts Association, a member of the China Arts and Crafts Association, and the representative inheritor of Yongjia Woodcarving, a regional intangible cultural heritage tradition. He began learning woodcarving in 2000 under his father and later studied with GAO Gongbo, a Master of Chinese Arts and Crafts.

In 2015, YE Zhu founded Wenzhou Muzhu Woodcarving Co., Ltd., which now serves as a non-intangible cultural heritage practice base for Tongji University and as an official intangible cultural heritage inheritance base in Yongjia County. His works have been exhibited and awarded at numerous cultural expos and design competitions. His piece International Dragon Boat was selected as a 2023 Wenzhou Featured Cultural Gift.

From June 7 to June 11, 2025, YE Zhu was invited to participate in the Iran–China Woodcarving Cultural Exchange Event, organized by the International Wood Culture Society. During the exchange, he created Fishing by the Cold River on site.

Artwork Title: Fishing by the Cold River
Artwork description: In this work, the artist preserves approximately 70% of the wood’s original bark and natural form, carving upon it a smiling elderly Chinese fisherman. Holding a fishing rod and carrying a basket full of fish, the figure returns home with a rich catch. The piece symbolizes the artist’s fruitful cultural exchange journey abroad. The entire work is carved using traditional techniques of Boxwood Carving, a national intangible cultural heritage of China, embodying the spirit of craftsmanship while conveying the depth and continuity of Chinese culture through woodcarving art.