• Qi Baishi - "likeness through unlikeness", Master of life and brief strokes
• Xu Beihong- Master of the famous horse painting and oil painting
• Li Xiongcai- Master of large scale landscape
• Fan Zeng - Master of figure painting, calligraphy, and the simple and vigorous strokes
• Huang Binhong - Master of freehand landscape
• He Xiangning - Master of plum blossoms painting
• Lin Fengmian -Master of figure painting, combining western and tranditional Chinese techniques
• Liu Dawei - Master of figure paintings, minorities and Tibatian themes
• Zhao Wei - Master of landscape painting
• Meng Xiangshun - Master of tiger painting
• Zhang Ding
• Guan Bu
• Wang Xuezhong
• He jinghan
• Qiao Mu
• Cao Jianglou
• Sun Ji
• Yao Youduo
• Jin Hongjun
• Cui Zifan
• Henry Wo Yue-Kee
• Liu Cun Hui
• Luo Su Ya

Source: http://www.asia-art.net/chinese_artist.html

Ai Weiwei, helped design the Bird's Nest for the olympics, speaks out against the Chinese gov't and is now being charged with tax evasion. (Thousands of Chinese citizens sent him money to help, because they support his speaking out). He's world reknown for his art and his installations around the world. He's one of my favs.

The guy who paints the pink people with enormous smile is called Yue Minjun. Other famous contemporary artists whose work you've probably seenl loads of times in some form or another includes Zhang Xiaogang (creepy portraits of expressionless people during Cultural Revolution), Fang Lijun etc.

I don't think any "modern" Chinese artises are good nowadays. In their world, "ugly" "naked" means a tons of meaning for them because they "have to do "something related to politics, it's their so called responsiblity. I thank them, I know it without you tell me. ALL OF THEM ignored art is also ABOUT bring ppl happy (by eyes,by feelings,by any of their amazing painting skill).  Although I like Aiweiwei personally, but he is too much "all western shits are good" and "brainwashed" fully,being a PURE artist and to be GREAT, I against him.

Western aritists are totally another stories, not have comparability to Chinese artists....