Zhang Wenxin (1928, Tianjin) graduated in 1948 with an arts degree from North China University. In 1949-1951, he studied physics in Peking University. Upon graduation, he worked as a creative cadre in the Beijing Art Studio in 1951. n the early 1950s, he participated in the sculpture creation of the Shijiazhuang Martyrs Cemetery and the Monument to the People's Heroes in Tian'anmen Square, after which he turned to oil painting creation. He won the Stalin Prize in 1955. In 1956, he briefly attended Konstantin Maksimov's classes at the Central Art Academy. Zhang worked in the Beijing Municipal Fine Arts Company and later became a professional painter in the Beijing Painting Academy. He later moved to the USA.

Zhang is known for his oil paintings (some of which were included in the collections of the China Art Gallery and the Museum of the Chinese Revolution) and sculptures. In January 2021, he and his wife Chai Dingfang were recognized by the World Records Certification (WRCA) as "the oldest couple of artists".