In many ways, Jiang seemed destined to become a painter. She once recalled that her mother had been pregnant with her while studying at an art education school in Kaifeng, Henan province. Among the teachers there was the respected painter, calligrapher and educator Xie Ruijie (1902-2000).
"My mother said that Xie encouraged her to study fine arts in Shanghai, but she gave up the dream after my younger sister was born," Jiang recalled. Years later, both sisters entered art colleges. Jiang enrolled at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, where she continued teaching until retiring in 1989.
She often remembered her mother's encouragement. "She strongly supported our decision to study art… she herself later studied the flower-and-bird style of classical Chinese painting for years."
