Chen Zhaofu (1933-2024) was born in Ruian County, Zhejiang Province in. From 1954 to 1959, he studied in the Flower and Bird Department of the Chinese Painting Department of the former Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts (now the China Academy of Art). After graduation in 1959, he was assigned to teach in the Art Department of the Central University for Nationalities. He has been engaged in the art education of ethnic minorities for a long time and advocated that teaching should highlight the characteristics of ethnic minorities. The paintings he created have participated in various national art exhibitions and he has held art exhibitions abroad. After 1980, he was transferred to become the director of the Art Research Office of the Institute of Ethnic Minority Literature and Art of the academy, where he devoted himself to the research of Chinese ethnic minority art, especially rock paintings. Since 1982, he has traveled to Italy, France, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Australia, and India many times to engage in further study, research and academic exchange activities on art theory and rock painting. In 1993, he founded the Chinese Rock Painting Research Center, an academic institution, at Minzu University of China and served as its first director. After 2000, the "Chen Zhaofu Rock Painting Network" was created. In 2003, this website represented the webpage of the China Rock Art Research Center and officially became the working website of the International Rock Art Organization.