Ting Shao Kuang was born in Chenggu, a village located in the Northern province of Shanxi, China in 1939, but has been living in the United States for the past 30 years.
By age 11, he was painting every day, using cooking oil as a medium for his pigment. Despite his lack of adequate supplies, he evidenced such remarkable talent that, in 1954, he was given the opportunity to attend the prestigious high school affiliated with the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.
In 1957, Ting was accepted at Beijing’s Central Academy of Arts and Crafts. 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.
It is generally known that Picasso’s paintings have exerted a great influence on the modern world, as have Oriental paintings. Ting Shao Kuang, a prominent contemporary Chinese painter in America, has produced works characterized by a combination of traditional Chinese painting techniques and the more expressive Western art forms. He has created a unique style that does not belong exclusively to the East or the West, but to the world.
Ting Shao Kuang has been exhibited and collected throughout the world and is regarded as the leader and significant contributor to the Heavy Color/Yunnan Art School/Yunnan School style. Many collaborators and students since have adopted and advanced this unique contemporary Chinese style.