Jin Shangyi (1934) hails from Jiaozuo, Henan Province. He completed his training at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 1953. In 1955, he studied oil painting under the Soviet master Konstantin Maksimov. Jin has been teaching oil painting at various academies in China.

Among Jin's many patriotic works is The great proletarian cultural revolution must be waged to the end from 1973. It is a collaborative effort, in which Hou Yimin, Deng Shu and others participated. Jin was also involved in the creation of the more recent (post-Cultural Revolution) versions of Dong Xiwen's famous painting The Founding of the Nation [Kaiguo dadian].