Nigel Szeto, born in 1950 in Kaiping, Guangdong, China, is a distinguished Chinese-Canadian artist renowned for his contributions to the Lingnan School of Painting. Hailing from a lineage of artists, Szeto is the son of Szeto Kei, a master of the Lingnan style, and the grandson of esteemed poet Szeto Mei. His early artistic education was shaped by tutelage under prominent masters such as Chao Shao An, Guan Shanyue, Li Xiongcai, and Yang Shanshen in Hong Kong and China.

In the 1970s, Szeto relocated to Canada, where he pursued formal art education at Capilano College and the Emily Carr College of Art & Design, graduating with highest honors. His artistic oeuvre is characterized by a fusion of traditional Chinese ink techniques with Western oil painting methods, often depicting subjects like birds, flowers, and landscapes, notably kapok blossoms, emblematic of the Lingnan aesthetic.

Szeto’s works have been exhibited internationally, including at the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, the Museum of Civilization in Ottawa, and various institutions in China. A notable exhibition, “Legacy of Cang Cheng, Masters of Lingnan School: The Art of Nigel Szeto,” was held at the City University of Hong Kong in 2009, showcasing over 50 of his pieces.

Beyond his artistic practice, Szeto has dedicated over two decades to art education in Canada and holds several esteemed positions, including Director of the Hong Kong Cang Cheng Art School and Vice-Principal of Lingnan Art Study at the Guangzhou Art Academy. He is also the founding Chairman of the Cang Cheng Art Association in Canada and a member of the Chinese Artists Association.

Continuing his family’s artistic legacy, Szeto’s son, Hayden Szeto, has established himself as a Canadian actor, reflecting the family’s enduring commitment to the arts.