Facing his sudden fame online, Deng says it could be "his Chinese way" of painting-including themes, techniques and calligraphy-that's capturing attention. Deng has been practicing Chinese calligraphy for about 20 years.

Peking Opera characters, such as Zhong Kui (a mythological demon killer) and Guangong (an ancient general worshipped as a symbol of loyalty, righteousness and bravery), have been important themes for his artwork, because the traditional art form's makeup and costume give him space to create, he adds.

"Calligraphy, xieyi (a style of drawing that highlights the 'spirit' of subjects with prominent lines),Peking Opera, tai chi, kung fu and folk art are the resources for my paintings," Deng says.

His recent painting has merged elements of Chinese calligraphy, showing the abstract beauty of lines, rhythm and structure.

Deng says many of his fans on Douyin are younger than age 30.

"Their interests in traditional culture is my motivation in sharing my creation online," he says, adding that the internet is making art more accessible to the public and collectors.

"In the past decades, painting was my own thing, but the internet has shortened the distance between creators and viewers,"Deng says.

His training in painting started when he was 10 years old. Deng graduated from the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts in Shenyang. In 1995, he was impressed by paintings of the Chinese-French abstract artist Zao Wou-ki (1920-2013) after he saw the artworks in a magazine. He took Zao as his spiritual guide.