Xu Kuang (1938) is from Changsha, Hunan Province. He studied art at the private Tao Xingzhi Academy of Arts in Shanghai between 1951 and 1954 and then entered the Middle School attached to the Central Art Academy, where he learnt socialist realist theory and Soviet style drawing and painting. He was sent to Chongqing in 1958 as a Rightist and later worked primarily as a professional artist in the Sichuan Artists' Association for nearly four decades. He became a vice-chairman of the Chongqing branch of the Chinese Artists' Association.

Xu is known for his blockprints for which he was awarded numerous prizes. His work, often showing Tibetans and other minority peoples, is also included in the collection of the China Art Gallery.