Han Meilin was born in 1936 in Jinan, Shandong, is a celebrated contemporary Chinese artist known for his versatile work in painting, calligraphy, sculpture, ceramics, and design. His art style is characterized by a blend of realism, exaggeration, and freehand brushwork, often focusing on animals inspired by Chinese folk traditions and ancient symbols.

Han Meilin was admitted to the Central Academy of Arts and Design in 1955. He has had a prolific artistic career of painting and sculpture. He was commissioned to create the 10 meter high Five Dragon Clock Tower for the 26th Olympic Games held in Atlanta in 1996. Other monumental sculptures include ‘Tigers’ for Dalian in Liaoning Province, ‘The Bull’ for Jinan, ‘Cock Crows to Herald the Break of Day’ for Zibo in Shandong Province, and ‘Sacred Bull’ for Shekou. Han Meilin also created the Fuwa doll mascots for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Members of the Bradshaw Foundation were introduced to Han Meilin in China in 2010, whilst attending the Third Annual Rock Art Festival & Seminar, hosted at the Yinchuan World Rock Art Museum located in Helankou, near Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Han Meilin had been invited as a speaker at the Seminar, where he encouraged artists of China to ‘seek inspiration from the ancient motifs and themes of Chinese rock art, rather than to look elsewhere such as Europe and Russia’. This coincided with an exhibition held in the Yinchuan World Rock Art Museum of recent paintings and sculpture by Han Meilin.

In 2015, on October 15 at the UNESCO Headquarters, he was named the UNESCO Artist For Peace. “In recognition of his long-term commitment to promoting art and artistic education in China, his support to providing quality education to young people, notably through projects led by the Han Meilin Art Foundation, and his dedication to the ideals and aims of the Organization.” He has also announced plans to donate a 7-meter-tall bronze statue entitled Guardian of Peace, to UNESCO on the occasion of the Organization's 70th anniversary.