Cheng Shifa

Cheng Shifa (1921-2007) was a Chinese calligrapher, painter and illustrator born in a village near Shanghai. Although he first studied medicine, he chose art instead and graduated from the Shanghai Art College in 1941. He first gained attention as an illustrator of short stories by Lu Xun, but became best known for his traditional brush paintings of ethnic minority groups from Yunnan, a southwestern province known for its diversity. His work stressed the unity and connections between these ethnic groups, earning him government awards.

After 1949 he worked in art popularization and, in 1956, helped prepare the Shanghai Painting Academy, where he served as a painter. His style blends ancient and modern methods, Chinese and Western, and he is especially noted for figures, flowers and birds. He also worked in comic strips and calligraphy, the latter inspired by the wooden slips of the Qin and Han dynasties. Among his works are Zhong Kui, a traditional figure he painted repeatedly, and Welcome Spring, painted in 1983.

His legacy lies in carrying the traditional brush into modern illustration. He died in a Shanghai hospital in 2007.