B. 1959 - Lu Hong, a child of the revolution, was born in 1959, in the coastal city of Qin-Huang-Dao. In 1966 the Cultural Revolution began and the effects of this political upheaval were profound for Lu Hong's family. During the late 1970's, while Lu Hong was attending high school, channels of communication were reopened to information from the Western world. It was during this time, that Lu Hong's family was visited by his uncle, Ting Shao Kuang. Ting was not only a world-renowned painter and teacher, but also the respected leader of the contemporary Chinese art movement known as the Yunnan School. Ting recognized the signs that predicted future greatness in the abstract paintings of his young nephew. Ting inspired Lu Hong to make use of his innate artistic ability. Immediately after graduating from high school, Lu Hong moved in with Ting and began to study under his tutelage. He learned everything that he could from his mentor until Ting immigrated to the United States two years later. Lu Hong was influence by the works of Paul Klee, Modigliani, and Picasso. He listened to the classical music of Chopin, Mueller and Wagner and read books on poetry, Western literature and psychology. Lu Hong relates, "All my life I was forced to think and act a certain way, but after I left the academy, I began to develop my own style of thinking and painting." Seeking intellectual and artistic freedom, Lu Hong moved to the United States in 1986 where he was reunited with his teacher, Ting Shao Kuang. Lu Hong has become one of the most acclaimed contemporary Chinese artists in America.