Born in Beijing, China, in 1953, Lan Wang was sent to the Northern Wilderness Farm at 16 years of age and worked there as a labourer for nine years. In 1977 she was admitted to the Print Department of the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts, where she studied for her Masters Degree. Lan Wang worked there as both an artist and teacher until her move to Australia with her young daughter, reuniting with her husband Jiawei Shen at the end of 1991.

Lan Wang is a member of the Chinese Artist's Association. Her works are represented in many public collections, such as the China Art Gallery in Beijing and she has won many prizes, including the silver medal at the 1998 National Art Exhibition in China.

Lan Wang has held solo exhibitions at Coventry Gallery in 1993 and 1997 and in 1998 she was commissioned to paint three murals for the Sydney Children’s Hospital.