A Taiwanese artist has carved a miniscule sculpture out of resin to welcome the Year of the Monkey.

The tiny sculpture of a monkey measures just one millimetre along its longest edge, and even looks small next to a grain of rice. The artist, Chen Forng-shean, says it is the world's smallest.

Monkeys are considered lively and auspicious animals in Chinese culture, Chen explained.

Twelve years ago, he sculpted his first Chinese zodiac animal - the monkey. There are twelve Chinese zodiac animals, each representing a year, so Chen has already completed a full cycle.

Each year, his miniature sculptures have become smaller and smaller, but he says the latest monkey was one of the biggest challenges yet.

He has specialised in miniature sculpting since he was 25 years old. In the 35 years since, he has completed nearly 200 works of art.