Born in Jingzhou, Hubei, Li's name used to be called Zhao Yuzhen. She was interested in music, chess, literature, and especially art since she was young. After she got her bachelor degree in Xinhua Art School, she decided to acquire advanced studies in the graduate school. Li learned to paint splash ink paintings with India master Shadola na, her paintings didn't stop exhibiting, and gained international fame for her. She later met Hsu Peihung, it was Hsu who recommended her to change her name to Li Qingping. Li published "The Art of Qingping" in 1941, it was Xu Beihong named her book and wrote the foreword for it, she held her solo exhibitions in Tokyo, Osaka later in 1943, and was invited to exhibit in Taipei, Taichung and Tainan in 1948. During the Cultural Revolution she was persecuted and her works were almost destroyed. Her miscarriage of justice finally redressed in 1982, and she started to create again, and was reported all over the world. Her paintings we see nowadays are mostly created after she's 70. Her paintings are mostly abstract oil and splash ink paintings, posses both solid western abstract painting skills and the spirits of Chinese splash ink paintings, forms a lively and unrestrained picture.