Wu Zuoren, from Jing County, Anhui Province, was born in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province in 1908 and spent his childhood there. In 1926, he enrolled in the Architecture Department of Suzhou Industrial College. From 1927 to early 1930, he studied at Shanghai University of the Arts, the Fine Arts Department of Nanguo Academy of Arts, and the Art Department of Nanjing Central University, under the famous painter Mr. Xu Beihong, and participated in the Nanguo Reform Movement. In his early years, he focused on sketching and oil painting, with profound skills. He occasionally created traditional Chinese paintings that were rich in daily life and did not fall into the traditional mold. In his later years, he specialized in traditional Chinese painting, with a broad realm and profound meaning. He integrated the profound knowledge of Chinese and Western art with concise and accurate images. His artistic achievements are multifaceted. He has profound expertise in sketching, oil painting, and art education, and is particularly unique in the creation of Chinese painting, creating his own style. He passed away in Beijing on April 9th, 1997.
In 1930, he went to Europe to study, first attending the É cole des Beaux Arts in Paris, and later studying at the studio of Dean Bai Sitian of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels, Belgium. In his second year of enrollment, he won a gold medal and the honor of being a crowned student in the summer oil painting examination of the entire college. He studied diligently, mastered proficient professional skills, and created a considerable number of oil paintings, demonstrating extraordinary artistic talent. Dean Bai Sitian praised him as "neither a Flemish school nor a traditional Chinese artist, but a writer full of personality." In 1935, he returned to China and taught at the Art Department of Central University. During the Anti Japanese War, he moved westward with the school to Chongqing. In 1938, he led the "Battlefield Sketching Team" to the front to paint. From 1943 to 1944, he went to the Shaanxi Gansu Qinghai region to sketch and copy Dunhuang murals. From 1944 to early 1945, he went to the Kangzang Plateau, delved into ethnic minority areas, wrote various styles, created a large number of sketches, and held multiple exhibitions. In 1946, he became a professor and academic director at the National Beiping Art College and was elected as the chairman of the Beiping Art Writers Association. In 1947, art exhibitions were held successively in England, France, and Switzerland. In 1950, he was appointed as a professor and dean of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. In 1955, he became the vice dean, in 1958 he became the dean, and in 1979 he became the honorary dean. Elected as Executive Director and Vice Chairman of the China Artists Association. In 1979, he was elected as the Vice Chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and in 1985, he was elected as the Chairman of the China Artists Association. He was successively elected as a deputy to the first to sixth National People's Congress. In 1984, the French Ministry of Culture awarded him the "Highest Order of Arts and Literature", and in 1985, he was awarded the Royal Order of Honour of the Kingdom of Belgium.