Kang Dong (1926) was born in Kangding, Sichuan Province. He graduated from Chengdu Sichuan University in 1949, and joined the People's Liberation Army the following year. Initially, he was a member of the Southwest Military Region Struggle Opera Company, and concurrently art editor of the journal Renmin zhanshi (人民战士, People's Warrior). In 1952, he was transferred to the PLA Pictorial, where he assumed the position of art editor. In 1984, he retired.

He has cooperated on poster designs with Gao Quan and Qian Zhilin.