Portrait of the artist

Born in 1932 in Tongshan county of East China's Jiangsu province, Yu Jigao is considered to be among the most outstanding living Chinese artists who work in the traditional bird-and-flower genre.

After graduation from the Art School of Nanjing Normal University in 1955, he began his professional work at the Chinese Painting Institute of Jiangsu in 1957.

Yu has participated in a range of national and international exhibitions. From 1986 to 1997 he held his own exhibitions in Beijing, Guangzhou and New York.

He is now designated as a national first-level painter, reaping widespread praise from the State Council and Jiangsu province for his outstanding contributions to the country and the province.

In 2002, Yu was named among the top 10 painters of Jiangsu by the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. He has published a series of art collections.

(China Daily 05/09/2008 page15)