Prof. Cao, whose courtesy name is "Chusan" or "Yeshi," was born in Chenzhou, Hunan Province. He graduated from the China Academy of Art (formerly known as Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts) with a Bachelor's degree in printmaking in 1992, and earned his Master's degree at CAA in 1997. During that period, he was awarded the first Pan Tianshou Scholarship and Chongli Scholarship and was elected as the National Outstanding Graduate Student by the Ministry of Culture. Upon his graduation in 1997, he started his teaching career in the Department of Printmaking until 2003. In July of that year, he was engaged in the establishment of the Foundation Department of Design Art and taught there until 2016. Then in September, he was recalled to the Department of Printmaking, School of Painting, and was promoted to the rank of professor on December 29, 2010.