Born in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province in 1960, Hong Lei graduated from Nanjing University of the Arts in 1987 and studied printmaking at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing in 1992. In 1994, he produced paintings while residing at the Yuanmingyuan Artists’ Village. After leaving the village the following year, he shifted his focus to photography as his primary medium for artistic expression. He currently lives and works in Changzhou.