Abstract This study investigates the field of Chinese bionic art image design, tracing its philosophical origins and its evolution from morphological imitation to spiritual expression. The critical research problem is that existing biomimetics scholarship is predominantly concentrated on engineering and functional applications, thereby neglecting theoretical frameworks for its cultural, artistic, and spiritual dimensions and lacking a systematic mechanism to translate morphological imitation into cultural semantics. To address this gap, this study introduces a “Cultural Bionic Analysis” framework that integrates biomimetics, semiotics, and art theory. The framework’s key innovation is its construction of a hierarchical logic that progresses from “morphological biomimetics” (the material carrier) to “artistic image biomimetics” (visual translation), and culminates in “cultural biomimetics” (the spiritual core), thereby extending biomimetic inquiry into the humanities.Through an analysis of cases such as the Classic of Mountains and Seas and the Chinese Zodiac, the research reveals that Chinese bionic art image design evolves from “formal likeness” to “spiritual resonance.” This process uncovers the deep-seated logic of transforming natural objects into cultural symbols that embody cosmological, ethical, and esthetic concepts. Consequently, this research not only fills a theoretical void in the cultural-artistic dimension of biomimetics but also offers a systematic analytical framework. This framework provides a methodology and practical pathway for contemporary creative industries, including art and product design, to navigate cross-cultural, AIGC, and sustainability contexts, fostering innovation that is both culturally grounded and forward-looking.
Xiao et al. (Tue,) studied this question.