Chao studied under the renowned Lin Fengmian at the National College of Art in Hangzhou, graduating in 1939 before immigrating to Taiwan in 1948. His studies in Spain and experiences in Europe led him to New York in 1958, where he encountered the dynamic world of American Abstract Expressionism and other post-war art movements. His works explore themes of nature, spirituality, and abstraction, featuring flowers, fish, birds, and cosmic imagery.