If art is the visual expression of the human
spirit, Jiang's wide popularity has come about because his images strike
a universal chord in all of us. Born in China, Jiang Tiefeng discovered
his intense fascination for art as a child. At the age of 19 he was accepted
to the prestigious Central Art Institute in Beijing. In 1963 he graduated
with honors - the last class to be schooled in the traditional Chinese
art disciplines due to Mao's unleashing of his Cultural Revolution. Jiang moved to Yunnan Province where he was
forced to create propaganda posters and sculptures. Risking severe punishment,
Jiang worked in secret to create his new modern style, rejecting the Red
Guards and their "Social Realism". In 1980, Jiang completed a monumental mural
that is permanently installed at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. In 1983 Jiang came to the United States on
an exchange program to teach art at The University of Southern California.
Later, in 1984, he permanently moved to America.
