廖静文6岁时全家迁居长沙，先后在长沙市十一小学、周南女中读书，随后参加抗日文艺活动。
1939年考入中央美术学院。曾任中央美术学院图书馆管理员。
1940年到重庆后，在院长办公室做助理。
1943年，她以优异的成绩考取了成都金陵女子大学化学系。
1945年与徐悲鸿结婚，协助徐悲鸿工作并照顾其生活。直到1953年徐悲鸿突发脑溢血逝世。
1953年至1956年，为了写好徐悲鸿传记，她再次进入大学读书，到北京大学中文系插班学习。
1956年，她利用学校的寒假之便到徐悲鸿的故乡江苏宜兴探访，祭扫公婆坟墓，会见许多亲友，搜集许多有关徐悲鸿的生平资料，还参观了宜兴县县城和许多村镇。
1957年，她完成大学学业，担任徐悲鸿纪念馆馆长、研究馆员、徐悲鸿画室主任。并应聘到中央美术学院讲授中国文学史。
在工作中继续搜集有关徐悲鸿的资料，为撰写徐悲鸿传记文学做准备，并写出了初稿。“文
革”中她几次被抄家，多年搜集的资料几乎全部被毁，徐悲鸿的墓碑被砸碎，这给她带来了极大的痛苦。
1973年，周恩来总理派人看望她，并亲笔写信与她洽商恢复徐悲鸿纪念馆的有关事宜。
1976年10月，在徐悲鸿墓碑得以修复、纪念馆得以重建的时刻，她执笔重撰徐悲鸿传记，终于在1982年完稿。
1992年，廖静文回故乡湖南省长沙金井视察，为家乡建设作出了贡献，同期为长沙市之浏阳市社港乡改为社港镇，随后为本地一中学浏阳市第八中学题名并赠送对联题词：“书中乾坤大，华里天地宽。”激励着后辈奋发学习，立志改变家乡，为国建设做出贡献。
第七届全国政协委员、第八届全国政协常委。
2015年6月16日晚7点03分，廖静文在北京的家中安然逝世，享年92岁。
 

这是一个为徐悲鸿而生，为徐悲鸿而活的女人。她的生活处处都烙上了徐悲鸿的印迹。但是廖静文并没有将自己束缚于“小爱”之中。能把“小爱”转化成“民族文化的大爱”，这是她的过人之处。（人民网评价）
乙未之夏，可染、石鲁、悲鸿家三位师母相继去世，中国美术事业深受损失。师母对弟子辈尤其关爱，令后学没齿难忘。（艺术评论家 刘曦林）
廖静文先生积极支持国博的各项工作，为国博西大厅“愚公移山”巨型浮雕的建设给予支持并提出了宝贵的意见。（国家博物馆副馆长 陈履生）
她一直很关心学校发展，学校把徐悲鸿先生教诲学生常用的‘尽精微、致广大’作为中央美院的校训，她感到非常高兴和欣慰。（中央美术学院党委书记 高洪）
廖静文先生对中国美术事业十分关心。她对悲鸿有着惊人的真切记忆，除了着书撰文，每次接受采访和出席讲座，她都饱含深情，娓娓道来，为弘扬徐悲鸿艺术精神不遗余力，为记述徐悲鸿与20世纪中国美术这个重要篇章做出了特殊的贡献。她慈祥亲切的容貌和充满文化关切的情怀让人永远铭记。（中央美术学院院长 范迪安）
廖静文先生很了不起，我们以沉重的精神怀念廖先生，继承廖先生和徐先生的事业，促进我们中国美术事业的繁荣和发展。（中国美协主席、中国文联副主席靳尚谊）
廖静文先生一直坚持不懈地传播徐悲鸿的艺术精神与教育思想，不顾高龄一直坚持在一线工作，为国家坚守徐悲鸿的艺术财富，为中国美术事业做出了不可磨灭的贡献。她永远是我尊敬的师母。（油画家、美术教育家 侯一民）
廖先生是极慈祥的人，文雅、高贵，和她见过有限的几面，大都在冬季，她总戴着一顶暖红色的贝雷帽，吃饭时也不摘。这帽子戴着精神，有朝气，却是一顶磨出许多洞的旧帽子了——中央美术学院造型学院院长、油画系主任 马路

徐悲鸿逝世后，为了感谢党和国家对徐悲鸿的关怀，
廖静文就将徐悲鸿留下的1200余幅作品，及徐悲鸿收藏的唐、宋、元、明、清和近代著名书画1000余幅、图书、图片、碑拓、美术资 料等万余件全部捐赠给国家文化部，并捐出了北京的一套寓所以建立徐悲鸿纪念馆。

Liao Jingwen was 6 years old when the family moved to Changsha, has read in the Changsha eleven primary school, Zhou Nan School, then participated in the Anti Japanese cultural activities.
1939 admitted to China Central Academy of Fine Arts. Former China Central Academy of Fine Arts librarian.
1940 to Chongqing, assistant to Dean office.
In 1943, she enrolled in the Department of chemistry, Chengdu Jinling Women's University with honors.
Married to Xu Beihong in 1945 to help Xu Beihong work and take care of his life. Until 1953, Xu Beihong sudden stroke death.
From 1953 to 1956, in order to write a biography of Xu Beihong, she again entered the University, Department of Peking University to Chinese transfer learning.
In 1956, she went to school by the winter of Xu Beihong's hometown of Jiangsu in Yixing to visit her, sweep the grave, met with many relatives and friends, collect many data about Xu Beihong's life, also visited the Yixing county and many villages and towns.
In 1957, she finished college, Xu Beihong served as curator of the memorial hall, research librarian, Xu Beihong studio director. And applied to China Central Academy of Fine Arts to teach Chinese literature history.
In the work continue to collect information about Xu Beihong, for the preparation of the biography of literature and prepare the draft, and wrote the first draft of the literature, and write the first draft of the manuscript, and write the first draft of the literature, and write the first draft of the biography of Xu Beihong. "Wen
Leather "several times she was Chaogu, years of data collected in almost all destroyed, Xu Beihong's tombstone was smashed, which has brought great suffering to her.
On 1973, Premier Zhou Enlai to visit her, and personally wrote a letter relating to restore the Xu Beihong memorial to negotiate with her.
In October 1976, to repair, rebuild the memorial moment in Xu Beihong's tombstone she penned re written biography of Xu Beihong, finally in 1982.
In 1992, Liao Jingwen returned to his hometown in Hunan province Changsha gold well inspection, made a contribution to the building of the home, for the same period Changsha city Liuyang City Harbor Township to town agency agency, followed by a local high school eighth middle school of Liuyang city title and presented antithetical couplet inscription: "universe book, Li wide day." Inspired children study hard, determined to change the home, make a contribution for the country construction.
Seventh CPPCC National Committee, the Standing Committee of the eighth cppcc.
June 16, 2015 at 7 in the evening, Liao Jingwen in Beijing home Enron died at the age of 92.

This is a woman born for Xu Beihong, who lives for Xu Beihong. Her life was branded with Xu Beihong. But Liao Jingwen did not bind himself to "little love". Can the "small love" into "national culture of great love", this is her forte. (evaluation of the people's network)
Next summer, can be dyed, Shi Lu, Beihong home three wife died, Chinese art career by loss. His wife to his generation especially love, so I never forget. (art critic Liu Xilin)
The work of Mr. Liao Jingwen's active support for the construction of the Expo, Bossi hall "giant relief support great determination and courage" and put forward valuable suggestions. (National Museum deputy curator Chen Lvsheng)
She has been very concerned about the development of the school, the school to teach students' Mr. Xu Beihong used as subtle, caused the majority of the Central Academy of fine arts "as the school motto, she was very happy and pleased. (China Central Academy of Fine Arts party secretary Gao Hong)
Mr. Liao Jingwen is very concerned about Chinese art. She has an amazing real memory of Beihong, in addition to a book written in every interview and attending lectures, she is affectionate, Weiweidaolai, to carry forward the spirit of art Xu Beihong spare no effort, has made special contribution to this important chapter from Xu Beihong and the twentieth Century China art. Her gracious appearance and full of cultural concern people always remember. (Dean Fan Dian, China Central Academy of Fine Arts)
Mr. Liao Jingwen is amazing, we miss Mr. Liu with heavy spirit, inherit the cause of Mr. Liao and Mr. Xu, promote the prosperity and development of our Chinese art cause. (Chinese chairman of the United States, Chinese Federation vice president Jin Shangyi)
The spirit of art and education thought Mr. Liao Jingwen has unremittingly spread Xu Beihong, regardless of age has always insisted in the line of work, for the country to stick with Xu Beihong's artistic wealth, has made an indelible contribution to the arts Chinese. She is always my dear wife. (painter, art educator Hou Yimin)
Mr Liu is a very kind person, elegant, noble, and she met a few, mostly in the winter, she always wore a warm red beret, a meal is not abstract. This hat wears the spirit, vigor, but it is a worn out a lot of holes in the old hat - China Central Academy of Fine Arts College of modeling, oil painting department director Road

Xu Beihong died, in order to thank the party and the country's concern for Xu Beihong,
Liao Jingwen Xu Beihong will leave more than 1200 paintings, and Xu Beihong collection of Tang, song, yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties and modern famous painting more than 1000 pieces, books, pictures, Beituo, art materials million pieces donated to the national Ministry of culture, and donated a set of Beijing apartment so the establishment of Xu Beihong Memorial hall.