Xie Zhiguang (1900-1976) was born in Yuyao, Zhejiang Province. He started studying Chinese and Western painting at 14. After his graduation from the Shanghai Fine Art School, he taught art and designed magazine covers, line drawings for newspaper illustrations and yuefenpai (月份牌), commercial calendar posters, for which he became famous. Xie worked for the Nanyang Tobacco Company and became director of the advertising department of Huacheng (Hwa Ching) Tobacco Company.
He was hired as 'special author' by the Shanghai Picture Poster publishing house (上海画片出版社- Shanghai huapian chubanshe) in 1954. In 1956, the Shanghai People's Fine Arts Publishing House (上海人民美术出版社 - Shanghai renmin meishu chubanshe) established the New Year Painting Creation Research Room. Four famous calendar poster artists in Shanghai were appointed three studios, the "Jin Meisheng Studio", the "Li Mubai, Jin Xuechen Studio" and the "Xie Zhiguang Studio", recruiting youths, teaching painting theory, and training new designers.
Xie later focused on traditional Chinese painting and taught at the Shanghai Chinese Painting Academy.
He was the uncle of Xie Mulian (谢幕连).
