b. 1914
Chen Xue Wei was born in Ruian, Zhejiang Province China in 1914. Noted for her fine brushwork and freehand painting, she was considered to be a naturalist painter, although her work does not adhere to any particular style. Her work concentrates on elements of nature such as small animal life, birds, flowers, plants. Along with painting, she is know for her calligraphy and poetry, and her work is often blended with the three. At an early age, Xue Wei was homeschooled by her father, specifically in Chinese classics in history, poetry, and philosophy. Her interest in painting started to develop as well. She was also educated at Shanghai Art Training School (1933) and a student of General Pei Jian-zhun, a distinguished traditional Chinese painter. Unfortunately, the time at which her artwork was thriving happened to be during the Chinese Cultural Revolution 500, and many if not most of her work from 1945 until 1966 was confiscated by Red Guards and lost. She was unable to paint for 12 years after this tragedy, however around 1978 she began to create again. In 1991, she was an artist-in-residence at the Burchfield from May 14th-17th.