Koo Mei was born in Guangzhou in 1934 and currently resides in Canada. She started to paint in 1962 under the tutorship of three Chinese ink masters, Zhao Shao Ang, Hu Nianzu and Lui Shou Kwan. In the 70s, she gave up her career as a famous singer and actress to become a professional artist. Her paintings are strikingly special in that she applies layer upon layer of ink and colour in her modernistic landscapes. She was awarded the Urban Council Artist Award by the Hong Kong Museum of Art in 1977, and her works are collected by museums and serious collectors. Since 1986, her works are auctioned annually by Sotheby's and Christie's in Hong Kong.