Xin Mang (1916-2007) was from Hepu County, Guangdong Province. In 1939, he graduated from the Fine Arts Department of the Lu Xun Art Academy in Yan'an. After the founding of the People's Republic, Xin worked in the Fine Arts Department of Huabei University, the Beijing Municipal People's Fine Arts Office, and the Beijing Painting Academy.

Xin was mainly known as an oil painter. He participated in high profile design assignments, including his 1951 Mao portrait. This image, one of the early official Mao-portraits, was designed in collaboration with Zhang Songhe, Zuo Hui and others.