Born in Taipei in 1954, Dean-E MEI graduated from the Department of Fine Arts, Chinese Culture University in 1977 and earned his MFA from Pratt Institute in 1985.

MEI used to be a professor in the Department of Fine Arts, National Changhua University of Education, and in the Graduate School of Printmaking, National Taiwan University of Arts. He also taught as an adjunct professor in the Graduate Institute of Plastic Arts, Tainan National University of the Arts, and in the School of Fine Arts, Taipei National University of the Arts. He won the 2nd Taishin Arts Award in the category of visual arts (2004), the Golden Seal Award from the Taiwan Society of Printmaking (2006), the Wu San-Lien Awards (2018), and the laurels of the 23rd National Award for Arts (2023).