Ma graduated from the Tianjin Art Academy (Oil Painting) in 1994 and went on to become one of the first recipients of the Luo Zhongli Scholarship. In recognition of his talents, he was retained by the Academy as a teacher, where he remained until 1998 when he moved to Africa as a volunteer teacher. Returning to China in 1999, he studied under the renowned abstract painter, Yuan Yunsheng, with a special focus on classical Chinese painting and cu ...