Cao Jianfeng (1932) ws born in Liyang, Jiangsu Province. He graduated from the Huadong Branch of the China Central Academy of Fine Arts (now called the China National Academy of Fine Arts) in 1953, where he taught until his retirement. He was one of the founders of the printmaking department of the Academy and established its intaglio printing workshop in 1957. For decades, he has been endeavouring to create a hybrid of European technique and Chinese style.