Chan Hoi-ying was born in 1918 in Hong Kong. He started to show artistic talent in his early teens. A reporter was so impressed by his work that he contracted Chan to design an advertisement, and so started Chan 's lifelong career from tender age of fourteen. Besides his talent and hard work, Chan¡¦s accomplishment is largely attributed to the influence of his teacher, Li Tiet-fu. Li was a master in his own right. He was the first Chinese person to study Western art abroad, and learned from the great American artists John S.Sargent and William M.Chase from 1905 to 1925. Li acquired international fame and won numerous prizes and honours during his stay abroad. Chan was Li 's closest pupil ,spending 18 years together with Li until the master passed away in 1952.