杨明义，1943年生于江苏苏州。1962年毕业于苏州工艺美术专科学校，1981年就读中央美术学院。1987年赴美留学，毕业于纽约青年艺术学生同盟。1999年回国，现居北京。国家一
级美术师、中国美术家协会会员。现任文化部国韵文华书画院副院长，海华归画院副院长。1978年因创作《水乡的节日》一画在写生中发现周庄，被称誉为“发现周庄第一人”。
杨明义擅山水，多以江南水乡风光入画，所作笔墨淋漓，格调清新典雅，富有浓郁的抒情意味和乡土气息。他首创新一代风格的水墨水乡中国画，创造性地表现江南水乡的浓郁韵味，形成了鲜明、独特的个人画风，深得国内外艺术界的高度评价和广泛赞誉，影响巨大。
自上世纪80年代以来，杨明义作品多次入选全国美展和国际重要展览，并在亚、美、欧各地举办个人画展近40次，出版各类画册、文集40余种。1982年作品入选中国首次赴法国春季沙龙画展。1988年起，他的作品进入世界知名的纽约佳士德、苏富比国际拍卖行，成为国内少数几位最早进入国际知名拍卖行的画家。

记忆感怀
2013年不少画江南的作品，还没看到像杨明义先生这样，浸泡在一个主题里这么多年。他会成为美术史单一主题的画家。杨明义先生的绘画语言已经非常娴熟了。他画每座桥，水墨和方法是有变化的。不能简单地说，他在画国画，他运用透视，运用西洋画处理景别的方式，融进水墨尺幅。你看中国古典画面里即便出现桥，不是这个形态。
生活中的伤感和时间里的伤感，最好的去处就是你把它变成艺术，艺术给你的伤感不是伤感主义的，它是抒情的，内在的，它像是100首诗。诗容易伤怀，但它已经变成诗，变成一个纸面空间，可以不断回味。你一旦读会这首诗，它就属于你，不走开了。绘画、音乐、文学，不应该流于伤感主义，一旦这幅画引发你的伤感，它一定已经变成艺术，那是另一个层次的伤感：它变成美，变成诗，变成可以回味的，可以内在于生命，不会消失。这就是人为什么需要艺术。
艺术和画家其实是这个关系。艺术要比自然、比记忆还要迷人。我相信有一天大家会忽然发现，到江南去，到一个小镇去，已经找不到江南了：这就是百桥图的说服力!它可能比地理上的江南更有说服力。北方也可能是个反差，有情致的北方人，会对江南保留敬意和感怀。这是一个躁动的年代，像杨明义先生和一些古建保护者，在剧变中，在拆迁的尘埃中，会试图留下什么，转化为绘画，让艺术留住记忆。（陈丹青）
宏大隽永
杨明义先生作品的风格、气息、格调是比较独特的。是那种典型的江南诗意绘画的特质，在绘画语言、表现形式、水墨技巧方面是比较成熟的。
光看作品，感觉作者一定是斯文儒雅的南方人，见他本人方觉有点印第安人的特色，粗犷、质朴，有一种彪悍的北方人的特点，皮肤黝黑，和他的作品形成的某种反差很有趣。可见这位壮汉心目中的艺术感觉细腻而富有诗意。艺术家的作品应该说基本是自然流露，很难造作。十多年来，他的作品一以贯之，淡淡的，朦胧着而且在不断完善着，升华着，不断提升着形式语言、风格表现的手法，经得住观赏和回味。
艺术家有很多种，既有叱咤风云表现宏大叙事题材的画家，也有以传统笔墨坚守，注重艺术本体技艺型的好手，还有一批是抱着深层文化的意识，负有某种使命、又夹杂着痴迷爱好的执着型艺术家。能够把所有这些重叠在一起的是最幸福的画家，杨明义可算是其中之一，他的作品在宏大叙事当中显现着细腻、精妙和纯美隽永。

他的作品多次入选全国美展和国际上重要美展。自80年代以来，在国内外亚、美、欧各地举办个人画展近30次，参与国内外重要联展近50余次 。

1989年他创作的水墨画《杭州西湖》被选印成特种小型张邮票在华盛顿举办的二十届世界邮政博览会和中国杭州同时发行。并先后获得“中日书画交流展金奖”、“20世纪亚太艺术大展银奖”、“世界华人艺术大奖”、2000年又获美国亚太艺术中心颁发的“20世纪艺术贡献奖勋章”、“第五届全球中华文化艺术薪传奖”、“中国优秀版画家鲁迅奖”、“全国版画优秀作品奖”、“全国美展铜奖”、“十八届日本水墨画作品精选展优秀奖”、“全日本艺术赏”“苏州市人民代表大会荣誉状”、2002年11月获日本“新日本美术院”颁发的“最优秀国际艺术赏”等。

中国美术馆、中国国家博物馆、人民大会堂、江苏省美术馆、纽约大都会艺术博物馆、伦敦大英帝国博物馆等诸多中外美术馆、美术学院和美国前总统布什先生和夫人等私人收藏家收藏了他的作品。2002年11月1日，朱镕基总理出访柬埔寨，杨明义所作水墨画《春长在》作为国家礼品，由朱镕基总理赠送给西哈努克亲王。2006年4月15日，在法国朗布依埃市博物馆举行的“巴黎美术周”开幕式上，杨明义代表中国美术家代表团将其作品送给巴黎朗布依埃市市长。

鉴于其艺术成就，杨明义多次荣获“世界华人艺术家”和“美国艺术家”、“20世纪杰出人物”等荣誉称号。作品自1987年起就连年在佳士德、苏富比国际拍卖行和中国嘉德、瀚海、中贸圣佳、荣宝、华辰等拍卖行拍卖并取得良好的拍卖业绩。

《人民日报》、《人民日报》(海外版)、《光明日报》、《北京晚报》、《文化报》、《中国书画报》、《美术》、《美术观察》、《艺术界》、《美术界》、《江苏画刊》、《中国画》、《美术丛刊》、《迎春花》、《中国文学》等众多报刊和电视台都介绍了他的艺术成就。几十种中外名人大辞典收录了他的艺术经历。中央电视台、中国新闻电影制片厂、美国纽约中文电视、美国斯特拉电视网、浙江卫视台、江苏卫视台、日本福井放送、香港有线电视台、台湾中华电视、台北中华电视台等都做过专题报道，拍摄电视专题片《水乡墨梦》、《发现周庄》、《水墨江南》、《把西湖介绍给世界的人》等。

Yang Mingyi, born in Jiangsu, 1943, Suzhou. 1962 graduated from Suzhou arts and crafts college, China Central Academy of Fine Arts in 1981. 1987 to study in the United States, graduated from the New York youth art students league. 1999 returned home, now living in Beijing. One country
Level artist, Chinese artists association. The current Vice President of the Ministry of culture of China calligraphy verse, Hai Hua to vice president of the academy. In 1978 due to the creation of the "water village festival" a painting in the painting is found in Zhouzhuang, is praised as the "first found in Zhouzhuang".
Yang Mingyi is good at landscape, in the picturesque scenery of Jiangnan, ink dripping, fresh and elegant style, full of rich local flavor and lyrical. He's first new generation style of ink painting Jiangnan Chinese, creative performance of Jiangnan rich flavor, forming a distinctive and unique personal style, won the high evaluation of the arts at home and abroad and praise, great influence.
Since the last century since 80s, Yang Mingyi's works have been selected for the national art exhibition and international exhibitions, and in Asia, the United States and Europe around held a personal exhibition of nearly 40 times, all kinds of pictures, published more than 40 kinds. 1982 works selected for the first time in China to France spring salon exhibition. In 1988, his works into the world famous New York Christie's, Sotheby's international auction house, becoming a handful of the first to enter the international well-known auction painter.

Emotional memory
2013 many paintings Jiangnan works, have not seen such as Mr. Yang Mingyi, immersed in a theme for so many years. He will be a painter of a single theme in art history. Mr. Yang Mingyi's painting language is very skilled. He painted every bridge, ink and methods are changing. Can not simply say that, in his painting, his use of perspective, the use of Western painting scene processing way into the ink painting. You see Chinese classical picture even if the bridge, not this form.
The sad and sad time in life, the best place to go is that you turn it into art, art to your sad not sad, it is lyrical, inner, it is like 100 poems. The poem is easy to sad, but it has turned into a poem, paper space, can continue to finish. Once you read this poem, it belongs to you. Painting, music, literature, should not be sentimental, once this picture caused you sorrow, it must have become the art, that is another level of sad: it turned into poetry, can become beautiful, aftertaste, can not disappear in life. That's why people need art.
Art and painters are actually the relationship. Art is more fascinating than nature and memory. I believe that one day we will suddenly find that go to the south, to a small town, can not find Jiangnan: This is the convincing hundred bridge map! It may be more convincing than the geographical jiangnan. The North may also be a contrast with the delight of the north, will retain the respect and recollections of jiangnan. This is a restless era, like Mr. Yang Mingyi and some ancient protectors in upheaval, in the demolition of the dust, will try to leave what, let art into painting, to keep the memory. (Chen Danqing)
Grand and meaningful
The style, breath and style of Mr. Yang Mingyi's works are unique. Is typical of the Jiangnan poetic painting, painting language, expression, ink skills is relatively mature.
Look at the works, feel the author must be gentle elegant south, I see him aware of some Indian characteristics, rough, rustic, characteristic, a tough northerners dark skin, a contrast and his work is very interesting. The men in the eyes of the delicate and poetic sense of art. Artists should say is basically naturally, it is difficult to do. In more than and 10 years, his works are faint, hazy with One principle runs through it all., and constantly improve, and constantly improve the form of sublimation, language, style style, ornamental and withstand aftertaste.
There are many artists, both all-powerful performance of grand narrative painter, but also to the traditional pen and ink stick, pay attention to art skilled players, there are a number of holding the deep cultural consciousness, has a certain mission, with the persistent type of artists obsessed with love. All these can overlap together is the most happy painter, Yang Mingyi is one of them, his works show a delicate, subtle and meaningful in the grand narration and pure.

His works have been selected for the national art exhibition and important international art exhibition. Since 80s, Asia, the United States and Europe around at home and abroad held a personal exhibition of nearly 30 times, to participate in an important exhibition at home and abroad more than 50 times.
In 1989 he created the painting "Hangzhou West Lake" special stamps are reprinted into small issue in Washington hosted the twenty session of the World Expo and the Hangzhou postal China. And has won the "Sino Japanese calligraphy exchange exhibition Gold Award", "Twentieth Century Asia Pacific Art Exhibition Silver Award", "World Chinese Art Award" in 2000 by the United States, Asia Pacific Art Center issued the "Twentieth Century Artistic Contribution Award Medal", "Fifth Session of the global Chinese culture and art heritage Award", "China outstanding artist Lu Xun Award" "national print Award", "National Art Exhibition", "Eighteen Japan ink painting featured exhibition Excellence Award", "Japanese art appreciation" of the Suzhou Municipal People's Congress Award ", in November 2002 by the Japan" Nippon art academy "awarded the" best International Artist ".
China Chinese Art Museum, National Museum, the Great Hall of the people in Jiangsu Province, New York Art Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, the British Museum of London and many other Chinese and foreign art museum, Academy of Fine Arts and former U.S. President Bush and Mrs. private collectors of his works. November 1, 2002, Premier Zhu Rongji's visit to Kampuchea, Yang Mingyi made ink painting spring long as a national gift, presented to Prince of Wales by Premier Sihanouk. In April 15, 2006, held in France Rambouillet Museum "Paris Art Week" at the opening ceremony, Yang Ming Yi on behalf of China artists delegation will work to the Paris city mayor of rambouillet.
In view of its artistic achievements, Yang Mingyi won the honorary title of "World Chinese artists" and "American artists" and "outstanding figures of twentieth Century". Since 1987 has been in the works of Christie's, Sotheby's international auction houses and Chinese, desert, Sungari, Fang Rong Bao, Huachen auction auction etc. and has achieved good results of the auction.
"People's Daily", "people's Daily" (Overseas Edition), "Guangming Daily", "Beijing Evening News", "cultural newspaper", "China calligraphy", "art", "art observation", "art circle", "fine arts", "Jiangsu pictorial", "painting", China "art series", "winter jasmine flower", "Chinese literature" and many other newspapers and television stations are introduced to his artistic achievements. Dozens of Chinese and foreign celebrities dictionary included his artistic experience. CCTV news, Chinese film studio, New York TV, Stella Chinese American television network, Zhejiang TV station, Jiangsu TV station, Fukui broadcasting and Hongkong TV station, Taiwan TV, Taipei TV station of the Chinese have done special reports, shooting TV documentary "dream", "water ink" found in Zhouzhuang "ink", "Jiangnan, introduce West Lake to the world".