Deng Shu (1929-2023) was born in Gaoyang, Hebei Province. She started her art education in 1945, when she entered the Resist Japan University in the liberated area of North China. In 1949, she graduated from the newly founded Central Art Academy. In 1955, she went to the Rebin Institute in Leningrad (Soviet Union) to study oil painting, a subject which she taught at the Central Art Academy after her return in 1961. Deng was married to Hou Yimin, with whom she collaborated on the poster The great proletarian cultural revolution must be waged to the end, 1973. Jin Shangyi also participated.

Ms. Deng specialized in oil painting, mural painting, and art education. She participated in the designing process of the third and fourth set of the RMB currency (circulating since 1962 and 1987, respectively). She retired in 1987, but after retiring, she was involved in the art design and construction of theme parks such as "Splendid China", "Folk Culture Village" and "Window of the World" in the Shenzhen Overseas Chinese Town.