Ting Shao Kuang was born in Chenggu, in Shanxi, China in 1939. He studied drawing and watercolor at the Beijing Central Academy of Fine Art High School Program and later received his BA with highest honors from the Central Academy of Arts and Design. Although he was taught “Socialist Realism” in his classes, it was during this time that he discovered the works of Picasso, Matisse and Modigliani. The paintings of these artists inspired him to experiment with new themes and techniques.
After graduating in 1962, Ting was signed on to teach at the Yunnan Art Institute in Kunming. Here he painted during the night in an abstract style that was considered unacceptable by the government. This forced him to burn his paintings each morning to avoid being caught by the authorities.
In 1979, Ting was commissioned to paint a mural in the Great Hall of the People, which was an extraordinary honor for any artist, especially one who was considered to be an outsider, philosophically.
Living in the United States since 1980, Ting Shao Kuang has had more than one hundred personal exhibitions in the U.S., Japan, Canada, Greece, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and has become a force in the international art world.
He has served as Chairman of the Chinese Artists Association, USA. He has received the Outstanding Chinese American Role Model Award from the Pan Pacific Performing Arts. The mayors of Santa Fe and Millbrae have also honored him by establishing “Ting Shao Kuang Day.”
