This article focuses on the complexity and diversity of human-animal relationships in contemporary art and design, and the insights it provides for bioethics. It explores the role of animals in creative activities within art and design, analyzes how these works convey complex thoughts and emotions, and examines the impact of modern biotechnology on artistic creation and bioethics. The article first reviews role changing of animals in art and design since the 20th century, and explores the subjectivity of animals in creative activities from Duchamp's readymades to Beuys' art projects. It then analyzes the works of Maya Smrekar and others, discusses how art/design as a creative activity can "making kin," which echoes Haraway's significant perspectives on art and design in interspecies relationships and the ethics between species. Particularly, through the practices of synthetic biology and bio-art or bio-design, the article explores new forms of human-animal relationships. Under the concept of "designing life," the "synthetic aesthetics" project brings together artists, designers, synthetic biologists, and social scientists to discuss how ethical, aesthetic, and other value issues can be embedded within synthetic biology. In conclusion, the human-animal relationship in contemporary art and design has evolved from traditional symbols and materials to an important medium for exploring human identity, social issues, and bioethics. The development of synthetic biology further highlights the urgency of the issue of the "kinship" between humans and animals. Art and design play crucial roles in promoting ecological awareness and interdisciplinary cooperation, encouraging people to rethink the relationship between humans and nature and their responsibilities.