Wu Wei ( 吴伟 1459-1509 ) was a professional painter in the Ming dynasty.  He was born of a poor family in Hubei province, his father died when he was very young, and he was adopted by an official in Jiangsu province at the age of 8. 

He showed talent in painting at a young age, and thanks to the patronage and financial support of Zhu Yi, the duke of Chengguo, at 17 he became a well-known painter in the Jingling region. He was twice called to service in the court, and in the Hall of Benevolence and Wisdom, he became a favourite of Emperor Xian Zhong. However, unrestrained by nature and frustrated by the court rules and the officials, he indulged in heavy drinking and a dissipative life, so twice he left the court and returned to Jingling. When he was once again called to service by Emperor Wu Zong, he died from complications resulting from excessive drinking before resuming the post.

He excelled in landscape and figure painting. his style was similar to his predecessor Dai Jing, however, his brushstrokes were even more unrestrained.   he painted many large scale landscape paintings, unlike a literati painting who paints the image in his mind, Wu Wei’s works depicted real life rather than the spiritual world. His figure paintings can be seen in both meticulous style and unrestrained, vigorous style.

Wu Wei is one of the most notable artists in the Zhe School or the Jiangxia school. With his bold and vigorous brushwork, he further developed the style of grandeur and boldness, enhancing the strength, dynamism, and momentum.