Culture
Famous Artists from China
List of the most popular artists from China, listed alphabetically with photos when available. For centuries artists have been among the world's most important people, helping chronicle history and keep us entertained with one of the earliest forms of entertainment. Make sure to also check out famous artists from Japan and famous South Korean artists. Whether they're known for painting, sculpting, etching or drawing, the famous Chinese artists on this list have kept that tradition alive by creating renowned pieces of art that have been praised around the world. You can find useful information below about these notable Chinese artists, such as when they were born and where their place of birth was.
Ai Weiwei and Muqi Fachang are included in this list.
This list answers the questions, "Which famous artists are from China?" and "Who are the most well-known Chinese artists?"
For further information on these historic Chinese artists, click on their names. If you're a fine art lover use this list of celebrated Chinese artists to discover some new paintings that you will enjoy.- Circle of Animals / Zodiac Heads, Coca-Cola vase, Sunflower Seeds
- Birthplace: Beijing, China
- Nationality: China
Ai Weiwei is a film producer and film director. - Six Persimmons
- Nationality: China
Muqi or Muxi (Chinese: 牧谿; Japanese: Mokkei; 1210?–1269?), also known as Fachang (Chinese: 法常), was a Chinese Chan Buddhist monk and painter who lived in the 13th century, around the end of the ...more - Scene Chinoise
- Birthplace: Beijing, China
- Nationality: China, France
Zao Wou-Ki (pinyin: Zhào Wújí; Wade–Giles: Chao Wu-chi; 13 February 1920 – 9 April 2013) was a Chinese-French painter. He was a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Zao Wou-Ki graduated ...more - Execution
- Birthplace: Daqing, China
- Nationality: China
Yue Minjun (Chinese: 岳敏君; born 1962) is a contemporary Chinese artist based in Beijing, China. He is best known for oil paintings depicting himself in various settings, frozen in laughter. He has ...more - Life by the River, Adjusting the Waistband, Roast Pork Stall
- Birthplace: Fujian, China
- Nationality: China, Singapore
Liu Kang (Chinese: liu kayng; pinyin: Liú Kàng) was a Singaporean artist known for his Balinese-themed figurative paintings. He was a founding member of the Singapore Art Society, and was credited ...more - Yonfan (born 14 October 1947) is a Hong Kong film director and photographer.
- A Book from the Sky, Lost Letters, Big Tire
- Birthplace: Chongqing, China
- Nationality: China, United States of America
Xu Bing (Chinese: 徐冰; pinyin: Xú Bīng; born 1955) is a Chinese artist who lived in the United States for eighteen years. Currently residing in Beijing, he used to serve as the vice-president of the ...more - Wang Wei (Chinese: 王維; 699–759) was a Chinese poet, musician, painter, and politician during the Tang dynasty. He was one of the most famous men of arts and letters of his time. Many of his poems ...more
- Borrowing Your Enemy's Arrows
- Birthplace: Quanzhou, China
- Nationality: China
Cai Guo-Qiang (Chinese: 蔡国强; born 8 December 1957) is a Chinese artist who currently lives and works in New York City and New Jersey. - Eagle Standing on Pine Tree, Jade Spade, Long Melons
- Birthplace: Xiangtan
- Nationality: China
Qi Baishi (1 January 1864 – 16 September 1957) was a Chinese painter, noted for the whimsical, often playful style of his watercolor works. Born to a peasant family from Xiangtan, Hunan, Qi became a ...more - Gu Kaizhi (simplified Chinese: 顾恺之; traditional Chinese: 顧愷之; pinyin: Gù Kǎizhī; Wade–Giles: Ku K'ai-chih; c. 344–406), courtesy name Changkang (長康), was a Chinese painter and politician. He was a ...more
- The Distant Cold Flow Pine, The Rongxi Studio, Sorrow While Traveling
- Birthplace: Wuxi, China
- Nationality: China
Ni Zan (Chinese: 倪瓚; 1301–1374) was a Chinese painter during the Yuan and early Ming periods. Along with Huang Gongwang, Wu Zhen, and Wang Meng, he is considered to be one of the Four Masters of the ...more - Mountain Scene
- Birthplace: Changzhou, China
- Nationality: China
Tang Yin (Chinese: 唐寅; pinyin: Táng Yín; Cantonese Yale: Tong Yan; 1470–1524), courtesy name Tang Bohu (唐伯虎), was a Chinese scholar, painter, calligrapher, and poet of the Ming dynasty period whose ...more - Studio in the mountain, Summer mountain after rain, Houses in the Forest
- Birthplace: Taicang, China
- Nationality: China
Wáng Shímǐn (simplified Chinese: 王时敏; traditional Chinese: 王時敏; Wade–Giles: Wang Shih-min; ca. 1592-1680 ) was a Chinese landscape painter during the late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty ...more - Grapes, Bamboo
- Birthplace: Shaoxing, China
- Nationality: China
Xu Wei (Chinese: 徐渭; pinyin: Xú Wèi; Wade–Giles: Hsü Wei, 1521–1593) was a Ming dynasty Chinese painter, poet, writer and dramatist famed for his artistic expressiveness. Revolutionary for its time, ...more - Shitao or Shi Tao (simplified Chinese: 石涛; traditional Chinese: 石濤; pinyin: Shí Tāo; Wade–Giles: Shih-t'ao; 1642–1707), born into the Ming dynasty imperial clan as Zhu Ruoji (朱若極), was a Chinese ...more
- Shen Quan (simplified Chinese: 沈铨; traditional Chinese: 沈銓; pinyin: Shěn Quán; Wade–Giles: Shen Ch'üan; c. 1682–1760) was a Chinese painter during the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912). His courtesy name was ...more
- Living Aloft: Master Liu's Retreat, Scholar Seated in Grove, Crossing the Bridge
- Birthplace: Suzhou, China
- Nationality: China
Wen Zhengming (November 28, 1470–1559), born Wen Bi, was a leading Ming dynasty painter, calligrapher, poet, and scholar. He was regarded as one of the Four Masters of Ming painting. - Winter Holiday, Grandma Reminiscing, Tilting Dolls and Flowers
- Birthplace: Tongxiang, China
- Nationality: China
Feng Zikai (simplified Chinese: 丰子恺; traditional Chinese: 豐子愷; pinyin: Fēng Zǐkǎi) (November 9, 1898 – September 15, 1975) was an influential Chinese painter, pioneering manhua (漫画) artist, essayist, ...more - Flower, Fishes, Toyko at Night
- Birthplace: Yixing, China
- Nationality: China
Wu Guanzhong (simplified Chinese: 吴冠中; traditional Chinese: 吳冠中; pinyin: Wú Guànzhōng; 29 August 1919 – 25 June 2010) was a contemporary Chinese painter widely recognized as a founder of modern ...more - Zhao Xiaoding (Mandarin pronunciation: [ʈʂâu̯ ɕi̯àu̯tíŋ]) is a Chinese photographer and cinematographer. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for his work in the film House ...more
- Waterfall Dream no. 2, Waterfall Dream no. 1, Nine Spaces No. 7
- Birthplace: China
- Nationality: China
- Chua Ek Kay (Chinese: 蔡逸溪; pinyin: Cài Yìxī) (1947 – 8 February 2008) was a Singaporean artist hailed as the "bridge between Asian and Western art" with a unique painting style using Chinese ink on ...more
- Martin Wong (July 11, 1946 – August 12, 1999) was a Chinese-American painter of the late twentieth century. His work has been described as a meticulous blend of social realism and visionary art ...more
- Mi Fu (Chinese: 米芾 or 米黻; pinyin: Mǐ Fú, also given as Mi Fei, 1051–1107) was a Chinese painter, poet, and calligrapher born in Taiyuan during the Song dynasty. He became known for his style of ...more
