SHIY De-jinn was born in Sichuan, China in 1923 and graduated from the Hangzhou National Art College, Hangzhou, China in 1948. At the age of five, he began learning to draw. In 1948, he graduated from the Hangzhou National College of Art. He carried on from his teacher Lin Fengmian. After graduation, he moved to Taiwan to teach at the provincial Chiayi High School. In 1957, he held his first solo exhibition. In 1962, together with Liao Chi-chun, he accepted an invitation of the U.S. State Department to visit the United States. Afterward, he went to France to study in Paris for three years. After his return to Taiwan, he taught at the Tamkang University architecture department and National Taiwan Normal University. In 1975, he won the Chungshan Literary Prize Award. Shiy De-jinn was known for the lyrical mood of his watercolors, at the same time being influenced by Pop Art and Op Art. His favorite subject matter was old-style traditional Taiwan architecture. He traveled all over the villages and counties of Taiwan seeking inspiration. His works richly display Taiwan's folk scenes and customs.
