Zhu Wei was born in 1966 in Beijing, and received education in the People's Liberation Army Academy of Art, Beijing Film Academy, and China Institute of Art. Zhu Wei is among the very first group of distinguished contemporary Chinese artists to be recognized by the international art audience in the early 1990s. Although already having a strong place in the Beijing art scene, the artist made this first appearance in international circuit as early as 1993 when invited to exhibit in the China Art Expo, Guangzhou.

At a time when ink was not seen as a contemporary medium, Zhu Wei was one of the only artists of the time to utilize his studied talent in traditional Chinese ink painting to create powerful contemporary works in the vein of the social-criticism of the early Chinese avant-garde. Seeing himself as an outsider in this regard, Zhu Wei has succeeded in becoming one of the most notable artists to successfully contemporize traditional painting techniques and has helped foster this interest seen in numerous important Chinese artists today.

With unwaning interest, Zhu Wei has been exhibited consistently worldwide and has work in numerous important collections. His most recent showings were at the 2012 Art Stage Singapore exposition and at the New York The "Chinese Scholar Ink Paintings and Works of Art" show. He is scheduled for two upcoming solo museum shows to be held at MoCA Singapore and the Today Art Museum in Beijing.