Biography

Min Ma was born in China in 1955, developing an interest in art from an early age despite the upheaval of the Cultural Revolution, teaching himself to draw by practicing on what was around him when formal classes were unavailable. When a painting program finally opened, he was accepted into the prestigious China Academy of Fine Art, one of only 15 students admitted that year. His work is defined by vivid clarity of colour and tone, with a subject range that has grown over the years to include landscapes, portraits, and human figures, rendered across oil, acrylic, and pencil. He immigrated to Canada in 1986, deeply influenced by Western art, and now resides in British Columbia.

Ma earned his BFA from the China Academy of Fine Art in 1982 and taught there as a professor of fine arts until 1986. Since immigrating to Canada, his work has been exhibited throughout Canada and the United States and is held in numerous corporate and private collections.