Zhang Naidong, born in Malaysia in 1936, graduated from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore in 1958, and then went to the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1967 to study oil painting and figurative painting. After that, Zhang Naidong traveled to Europe, visiting art galleries and galleries all over the country, and became active in the Malaysian art scene after returning to China, famous for his unique figurative painting style. His paintings are highly influenced by the cultural scene of Paris, and at the same time fully reflect the richness of Asian culture and life, revealing a kind of emotion and memory of the Asian land, and he is an important practitioner of “Nanyang painting style”. It is worth mentioning that Zhang Naidong’s paintings always emphasize female figures. They live in simple villages, go to market, tap rubber, watch birds, take care of the family, rest, etc. All kinds of gestures reflect the unique gentleness and tenderness of Nanyang women. The tenacity allows people to feel a delicate interpretation of the inner beauty of women through the eyes of male painters.

In 2007, the National Gallery of Malaysia specially held a solo exhibition for Zhang Naidong in recognition of his artistic achievements. In 2009, Zhang Naidong was awarded the “2009 Asian Art Award” in Seoul, further establishing his personal artistic status. Zhang Naidong’s painting style has had a positive impact on the Malaysian art scene, namely successfully promoting Malaysia’s art and cultural heritage to the world stage. He was the founder and president of the Malaysian Watercolor Society, consultant of the Klang Artists Association, director of the West Lake International Artists Association, etc. His works have also been collected by many museums in Malaysia and Singapore.