Born in Tangshan, Hebei, Yao graduated from Hebei Light Industry School in 1982, studied fine arts; and from the department of fine arts in Central University for Nationalities in 1992, studied oil paintings. He made painting as his profession since 1993. His works have participated in the exhibitions such as "Contemporary Century" in 1997, "Norway Contemporary arts"in 1998, and "The pop icons of the Nineties" in 1999. In fall, 1994, he moved into the Sung Chuang small fortress village in Tongzhou. During his life there, he continued to discover different ways to express his artistic emotions through introspection, reconstruction, and perfection for his inner self. The establish of the Song Chuang Artist Village gave him the space and possibilities to put his arts into practice; it also broadened his artistic thoughts.