Yamin Young was born in 1959 in the city of Shangai, China. By the age of seven, he was already receiving international recognition and accolades for his artwork. His mother was a professor at the Suzhou Art Institute, which is known as the Venice of the East, but Young's interested in art stemmed from when his father brought home a painting from Europe; after seeing this painting, Yamin's awareness of his creative side burst forth. He admires all the great artists and is particularly indebted to Van Gogh, Gaugin, and Picasso. Like Monet, his favorite flower is the water lily. His list of credentials, exhibitions, and distinguished awards is enough to fill volumes. Yamin is not limited to any medium, although he prefers paper "because it is more creative." His work is described as having the rare quality of synthesis of the old with the new in addition to his blending of cultures, the East and the West.