Cheng Shifa (1921-2007) was from Songjiang, in the vicinity of Shanghai. In 1941, he graduated from the Shanghai Fine Arts Training School. He joined the East China People's Fine Arts Publishing House (now the Shanghai People's Fine Arts Publishing House) in 1952. Four years later, he participated in the preparatory work of setting up the Shanghai Academy of National Painting, which he later headed.

Cheng's artistic specialities included Chinese painting, comic strips, book illustrations and New Year pictures.