Benrei Huang was born in Taipei in 1959. She graduated from The Department of Fine Arts in National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei in 1982. And completed her Master of Fine Arts at The Department of Illustration in The School of Visual Arts, New York in 1992. From 1988 to 2008 she worked primarily as a children’s book illustrator. 

Huang draws inspiration from everyday life and uses Nini the rabbit as a vehicle for contemplation and reflection on her experiences. From Huang’s paintings we can get a glimpse of the artist’s inner world, as most of them are inspired, directly and indirectly, by the people, things and events that take place in her immediate environment. Sometimes a painting comes from her mourning for the loss of a pet; sometimes it could be an afterthought when she encountered a street performer (singer) in the subway; and sometimes it may be to express her anxiety about environmental degradation. Huang believes that all creatures on Earth are only a small part of the universe. Although the course of nature and life are beyond our control, optimism and a fighting spirit may be our only way to give meaning to our existence. As such, Huang’s works often emanate a hint of sadness and helplessness yet at the same time filled with warmth and humor. Though personal, her works contain emotions that are universal to us, and thus they become a mirror of our own experiences, and from them we are able to see a bit of ourselves.

Huang has been representing by Eslite Gallery since 2009, and has held a series of solo exhibitions in New York, Taipei, Hong Kong, Suzhou and Xiamen. Moreover, she has exhibited at Taipei Economic and Cultural Center, New York (2009), Da Gallery, New York (2010), Nancy Margolis Gallery, New York (2013), and Gallery 456 (Chinese American Arts Council), New York (2018).