Ma Yun (1938) is from Fengxiang, Shaanxi Province. After his graduation from the Xi'an Art Academy, he started work in the Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall in 1965. Ten years later, he transferred to the Xi'an Municipal Industrial Arts Company. In 1978, he re-entered the Xi'an Academy to specialize in figurative drawing. After his graduation in 1980, he took up teaching. He now is Associate Professor at the Xi'an Art Academy and heads the Chinese Painting Section.

Ma is specialized in figurative drawing in the 写意 xieyi (figurative) style.