Xinyu Zhang who was raised in a literaturary family in Hunan Province, China grew up with passion for art and poetry. Her art career, however, has taken a non-traditional path. With a plan to study Literature at Peking University, Xinyu was transferred to International Relations, a major that she never thought about pursuing. Upon receipt of a Bachelor of Law Degree from PKU, she began her career as an editor for the China Social Science Press. During her 16 years at the publishing house, she edited more than one hundred books. It was also there that she discovered an avenue to bring back her love for art. Xinyu self-taught book cover design. Both her edited books and designed covers received awards.
To pursue her artist's dream and further her art education, Xinyu gave up her well-established career and life in China in 2002, and enrolled in the Fine Art program at the University of Arizona School of Arts in the United States. Since earning an MFA degree there in 2005, she has enjoyed solo and group shows.
Xinyu currently lives and works in Tucson. In addition to creating paintings and installation arts, she writes and publishes essays and proses. Her Chinese blog covers a wide range from literature to arts in all medium.