Mi has been interested in art since she was four years old (All photos: Patrick Goh/The Edge)
When one thinks of places where artists are nurtured, the hustle and bustle of urban life does not naturally spring to mind. Yet, it was in one of China’s most developed coastal cities that Dr Mi Qiaoming, an internationally acclaimed painter and graduate of the Russian Liebin Academy of Fine Arts, was born and raised.
Dubbed the “Hong Kong of the North”, Dalian, on the coast of the Liaodong Peninsula in northeastern China, is famed as a regional hub of commerce and trade in East Asia. It also boasts a distinctive architectural tapestry of Victorian mansions and Soviet-style buildings and skyscrapers, reflecting the metropolis’ complex history and foreign influences.
Mi was born in this port city in 1986 to an artistically inclined family. Her grandparents were both veterans of the Chinese Red Army who had a deep understanding of and appreciation for China’s cultural heritage. Mi’s grandmother enjoyed singing Huangmei opera, while her grandfather would often play the erhu and practise calligraphy.
These influences prompted Mi to explore the arts from an early age. “As a child, I would make things with [my grandfather] — handicrafts, paper folding and drawings,” she recalls. “I loved drawing from childhood and began studying art when I was four. I also tried [playing] musical instruments when I was very young, including the flute and violin.”
In the end, painting captured her heart. “From the age of four, I wanted to become a painter. I was only a little child, yet I would say, ‘I want to be a painter!’”
That dream was something she held fast to as she grew up. When it came to choosing a career path, Mi pursued her ambition and applied to study at the renowned Repin Academy of Fine Arts in St Petersburg, Russia. Since the 1950s, the institute has played a major role in the development of Chinese oil painting through academic exchanges, specialised training and the return of alumni to lead China’s top art institutions.
“I went there to learn Western painting and its techniques,” Mi explains. “When I returned to China, I wanted to use what I had learnt to express our own traditions and art — to combine the foundation and representational skills of Western painting with a distinctly Chinese style.”
Through persistence, resolve and determination, Mi secured a place at the prestigious art academy in 2005. There, she studied under leading Russian artist-educators, including famous painter Yuri Goryuta, who later became her mentor and a source of encouragement during her university years.
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At the academy, Mi took her studies seriously, devoting herself to mastering the theory and practice of oil painting. Although the institution offered abundant resources, these were largely rooted in a single cultural tradition, whereas she wanted to explore others from around the world. To broaden her perspective, she would use her free time to visit museums and study works up close.
“While [I was studying] in Russia, I visited the State Hermitage Museum and saw the Chinese galleries, including many cultural objects that had ended up overseas,” Mi remembers. During visits to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the US, the Louvre in Paris and a museum in Japan, she also noticed the presence of murals from places such as Dunhuang, Shanxi and Xinjiang.
Seeing these precious artefacts from her homeland housed overseas had a profound impact on Mi. The experience would eventually give rise to a artistic mission.
After spending 17 years abroad in St Petersburg, Mi returned to China, where she began experimenting with blending Western oil painting techniques with the textured brushstrokes and line drawing of traditional Chinese brushwork. Eventually, this gave rise to what she calls a unique “painting language”, a dialogue between her long formal education and traditional cultural upbringing.
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With regard to subject matter, Mi drew inspiration from diverse aspects of her homeland’s long history and culture, ranging from Dunhuang murals to opera performance imagery and historical painting traditions.
“I wanted to record them in a different way as they are extremely precious,” she explains. “Through my paintings, I am preserving them in another form — a different way of bringing these national treasures home.”
The idiosyncratic style and compositions of her paintings have earned her numerous accolades. In 2021, Mi was ranked No 45 on the Hurun Art Chart and held the title of top young artist on the Hurun Art List from 2017 to 2023. Her works have been featured on major auction platforms, including China Guardian and Poly Auction, with multiple pieces achieving million-yuan results and a 100% sell-through rate. Her creations have been bought by institutions such as the National Art Museum of China and Dubai Art Centre, and have attracted sustained interest from distinguished collectors, including politicians, in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, France, Spain, Russia, Germany, the US and Thailand.
Her career also transcends commercial boundaries into the academic sphere. Mi is a researcher based at the Chinese National Academy of Arts and a visiting professor at the Beijing Institute of Technology and Yunnan University.
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A specially curated collection of Mi’s artworks, Echoes of Time, is currently being presented at Qing Gallery in Kuala Lumpur. The exhibition is split into different “chapters”, inviting viewers to reflect on Mi’s personal evolution and progress as an artist.
The fourth and final chapter, titled Running Towards the Light, features a series of four majestic horses, each steed belonging to a particular well-known breed. According to Mi, these are no ordinary animals, but national treasures associated with state gifts and national leaders. Each horse was presented to China at one time or another as a diplomatic gift from a foreign head of state.
“There is the Chinese expression ma dao cheng gong, which associates the arrival of the horse with immediate success. So, the horse carries a special meaning: achievement and success,” she explains.
Beyond aesthetic pleasure, Mi hopes the showcase will also serve as an exchange between both countries, aligning with her vision of opening a conversation about cross-cultural dialogue.
“This exhibition in Malaysia is not simply a display of my paintings. It is also a way of sharing culture, bringing Chinese and Eastern culture to Malaysia and creating an exchange between the two countries.”
From the little child forming her own dreams and ambitions to a distinguished painter who now commands a remarkable repertoire, Mi exemplifies one of the rare individuals who dedicate their lives to chasing a higher calling despite the difficulties and uncertainties.
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Asked about what motivates her to continue painting and creating, her answer is profoundly simple and childlike. “It is because of my dream. I wanted to become an artist when I was four, when I was only a little child beginning to form my own ideas,” she says with a small smile.
“I have persisted along this path and put my love and passion into my art. It is my childhood goal, and I think I will keep following it.”
As for her advice to younger artists? Persevere, though the path can be a lonely one.
“Some painters become famous during their lifetime, while others are recognised only after their death. But you have to hold on to your ideals and keep going. For a long time, people may not notice you. At the beginning, your work may be worth very little, but gradually you may begin to achieve something.”
'Echoes of Time' is showing at Qing Gallery until Oct 11.
This article first appeared on Sept 28, 2026 in The Edge Malaysia.
