Zhimin Guan, born in Ahui provence, China, lives with his wife Weiwei, in south Fargo, North Dakota where he maintains his studio. He is Professor of Painting in the School of Art at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Guan earned his Master Fine Arts in painting and drawing from Fort Hays State University, Kansas in 1998, the same year he joined the faculty at Moorhead State University Moorhead.

Guan has exhibited his art throughout the United States and China, including exhibits at the China National Art Gallery, China Academy of Art Museum, Singapore Asian Artist Gallery, New York Asian Cultural Center, North Dakota Museum of Art, The Rourke Art Gallery + Museum, and Plains Art Museum. He has presented 20 solo exhibitions, participated in over 200 group exhibitions, and received 25 visual art awards. He was the 2010 McKnight Fellowship recipient from Lake Region Art Council. His works have been featured in numerous art magazines and are part of public and private collections, including The Microsoft Permanent Collection, the Kilbourne Group, North Dakota State Capital and Governor’s Mansion, University of North Dakota, Methodist University in North Carolina, Minnesota State University, Fort Hays State University, Sandzen Memorial Gallery in Kansas, Minnesota State Community and Technical Colleges, in both Fergus Falls and Moorhead campuses, The West Acres Shopping Center, Singapore Asian Art Gallery, The Rourke Art Gallery + Museum, Plains Art Museum, and North Dakota Museum of Art.

Guan strives to balance traditional and experimental techniques and figurative and abstract subject in his art. He has been working in a variety of mediums including oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastels, charcoal, and mixed media.