Zhou Ling, one of the acknowledged leaders of the Yunnan School of Chinese painting, and is one of the Premier Female Artists in the United States today. Ling's works are powerful and stellar images that blend the themes and techniques of ancient Chinese art with Western Art. Born in Tianjin, China in 1941, Ling discovered her love for art in junior high school when she looked through a book of illustrations and was inspired to try her hand hand at drawing. Her sketches brought praises from everyone around her. As a result of her skill, Ling was given the opportunity to study Chinese art and history at the Central Institute of Nationalities in 1960. In addition, she used this opportunity to learn about Western art history despite the potential problems that could result from straying away from Party Approved Socialistic Realism. After graduation, Ling was sent to teach at the Institute of Art and Culture as punishment for marrying her teacher, Liu Bingjiang. She spent eight years separated from her husband and later from her child, painting posters and illustrations for the Cultural Revolution which began in 1966. In 1973, Ling was reunited with her husband and child in Beijing, and began studying print techniques under the prominent painter Huang Yongyu. Ling is now living in Chicago, enjoying being around animals, attending ballet and painting the tribal peoples of the tropical environment of the Yunnan Province.