Liu Huanzhang (b.1930) was born in Balihan in present-day inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 1930. When he was a teenager, he became an apprentice of Mr. Jin Yumin, a famous seal carver from the Forbidden City. In 1951, he was admitted to the Central Academy of Fine Arts to study sculpture and then became the first generation of sculptors cultivated in New China. In 1956, Liu Huanzhang graduated from the sculpture research class of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. After graduation, he stayed in the sculpture studio of the academy to engage in professional creation. He has participated in the Beijing Exhibition Hall, Chinese History Museum, Chinese Military Museum, Workers Stadium and Chairman Mao Memorial Hall with the creation of large-scale sculptures.

Viewing from another scale, Liu Huanzhang broke the traditional aesthetics of sculpture and created a series of wood carvings and stone carvings by investigating Chinese grottoes, striving to get rid of the influence of the once-dominant Su School's naturalistic methods in form. The beautiful and dignified language of the sculpture "Girl" in 1961 caused a sensation in the art world. The appearance of this work established Liu Huanzhang's implicit and graceful style in the language of sculpture creation.

Liu Huanzhang kept exploring the form of sculpture for many years, and implicitly reflected his thoughts and understanding in his work regarding the "Cultural Revolution" and real societal human sentiments. In February 1989, he held a personal exhibition at the National Art Museum of China.

His subsequent works create a new sense of volume and beauty through the use of large blocks and lines without seeking perfection. In 2016, Liu Huanzhang, who was nearly 90 years old, held a solo exhibition at the National Art Museum of China for the third time. With the theme of "Renewing a Chapter", he comprehensively reviewed his life's creations and recent creations. Persisting in "self-exploration" and "personal practice" has always been an important tenet of Mr. Liu Huanzhang's long artistic career. It is this kind of persistence that enables his art practice to open up a broad path in the complex art world after undergoing various political changes and turbulent history of artistic value.