Li keran was born in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province. His artist education commenced in 1929 when he entered the Research Section of the Hangzhou State Xihu Art College. He learned oil painting from a French artist in 1931, he joined the 'Aigist Pme Art Asspcoatopm.' which was disbanded by the Kuomintang government. He worked as a teacher at the Beiping State Art institute from 1946 on, an for more than ten years, studied traditional Chinese painting with masters shuch as Qi Baishi and Huang Binhong. He was appointed as a professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 1949. As an expert in landscape painting, Li made great contributions to the reform of traditional Chinese landscape painting.