Liu was born in
Weifang,
Shandong, on 22 October 1945, while his
ancestral home is in
Zhucheng. After the establishment of the Communist State, in 1951, his family moved to
Baotou. As a child he developed an interesting in painting and studied calligraphy with his grandfather. In September 1963, he was accepted to
Inner Mongolia Normal University, majoring in the Department of Arts. After graduating in December 1968, he was dispatched to Baotou Semiconductor Device Factory as a fitter. In 1972, he was transferred to
Baotou Daily as an art editor and journalist. In September 1978, he was admitted to the
Central Academy of Fine Arts, studying paint under
Li Keran,
Li Kuchan, and
Wu Zuoren. He became president of the
China Artists Association in 2008, and served until 2018. He was a member of the 11th National Committee of the
Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. ==References==