Yang Lizhou (1942, Linyi, Shanxi Province) graduated from the Oil Painting Department of the Xi'an Art Academy in 1966, and continued to design book covers and produce oil paintings, blockprints, murals and Chinese paintings in his home province. In 1978, he entered the Portrait Section of the Chinese Painting Department of the Central Art Academy as a research student, and after his graduation in 1980, he embarked on an administrative career. He joined the preparatory committee of the Chinese Painting Research Institute in 1981, transferred to the Ministry of Culture in 1984 to head the Fine Arts section of the Arts Office, and became vice-director of the China Art Gallery in 1989.

Yang is specialized in Chinese painting. He co-designed posters with his wife, Wang Yingchun, with whom he started working together in 1959.