Xu Wei (徐渭 1521-1593）was a multifaceted talent in the Ming dynasty, known as a great painter, calligrapher, poet, playwright, and militarist.He was born in Shaoxing, Zhenjiang province. Tragedy marked his early life as his father passed away when he was only 3 months old, and his adopted mother died when he was 14. He then lived with his eldest brother, who was about 30 years older than him.

Despite his challenging childhood, Xu Wei displayed literary talent at an early age and was regarded as a genius by the locals. At the age of 20, he successfully passed the county civil examination. However, in the following 21 years, he attempted to pass the civil exam at provincial-level eight times, all ended in failure.

From 1554, he becaome involved in the battles against the invasion of Japanese pirates, and his military talent was noticed by a viceroy. He then became an advisor to the viceroy. Unfortunately, the viceroy was imprisoned for his involvement with a notoriously corrupt high official and died while in prison.

Suffered from the mental strain caused  by this incident, Xu Wei began to experience episodes of schizophrenia and made several suicide attempts. Tragically, he ended up killing his second wife and awaited exectuion. After spending 7 years in prison, with the tremendous efforts of his friends, he was released at the age of 53. He took a few posts with his friends in the government, returned to his hometown with deterring health and relapses of mental illness. He died in poverty and solitude.

Despite the tragic course of his life, Xu Wei achieved greatness in various artistic and literary domains. He was the pioneering figure of the bold and freehand style of flower-and-bird painting in the Ming dynasty. His revolutionary style had a lasting impact on many renowned later artists. Figures such as Zhou Da, Zheng Xie in the Qing dynasty, and Qi Baishi greatly admired him and wrote poems in his honor.