Born in Chengdu, Diao immigrated to the United States in the 1950s, where he continues to live and work today.

Diao recalls collecting cardboard tubes discarded by garment and fabric factories near his studio in Soho, and then flattening and using them to apply paint to canvas in lieu of brushes. This simple act not only provided the young artist with a free and plentiful source of painting materials, but it also served to subvert the concept of the artist's brushstroke, which reigned supreme at the time. Multiple layers of paint would be applied to the canvas in this way, building up depth and a resonant richness of color. In a work called Untitled, muted and mossy green is layered over a lush burgund...