刘光祖1929年8月生，河北黄骅人，中共党员。中央美术学院绘画系肄业。曾任中学美术教师、师范学校副校长、中国艺术研究院美术研究所办公室主任。中国美术家协会会员、北京鼓楼书画研究会副会长。
在任美术教员时，即对中国美术史论进行研究，并有书画创作。八十年代后，对传统文人画梅、兰、竹、菊进行了专门研究，出版专著有：《写竹百家》、《写梅百家》，共18万字，352图，由黑龙江美术出版社出版。发表论文有：《墨竹浅谈》(8千字，载于《美术史论》85年4期)、《竹谱述评》(3万字，连载于《美术史论》88年4期及89年2期)、《画之所贵贵存我》(5千字，载于《神剑》85年4期)、《打进传统，创造新时代的美》(7万字，收编在香港墨趣斋出版的《中国画大师黄秋园作品评论研究文集》中)、《漫谈写竹》(5千字，载于《中国文房四宝》95年1期)、《人品高矣画自高》(8千字，载于《情融山河――郑玉昆绘画艺术研究论文集》、《‘画如其人随笔’》(5千字，载于《中国文房四宝》96年3期)等十多万字；并写有《中国绘画史讲义》20万字，中国画家丛书《李衍》3万字。
绘画创作以中国花鸟画为主，梅、竹居多，《当代中国名家书画宝鉴》(外文出版社出版)载有写竹作品，《古都翰香》、《书画选粹》、《花城》亦有画作刊载。书法以行草见长，《神州墨海》等有载。

Liu Guangzu is unripe in August 1929, person of Heibei yellow Hua, party member of the Communist Party of China. Brushwork of central academy of fine arts fastens study in school. Director of office of institute of art of artistic academy of vice-president of teacher of art of Ceng Ren middle school, training school, China. Vice-chairman of seminar of painting and calligraphy of drum-tower of Chinese artist academician, Beijing.
When holding the post of art teacher, namely to China art history is talked undertake study, have creative work of painting and calligraphy. After 80 time, draw a plum to traditional bookman, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum undertook study technically, publication monograph has: " a hunderd schools that write bamboo " , " a hunderd schools that write a plum " , in all 180 thousand word, 352 graphs, publish by Heilongjiang art publishing house. Publish a paper to have: " Chinese ink Zhu Jian talks " (8 1000 words, carry at " art history is talked " 85 years 4 period) , " Zhu Pushu is judged " (30 thousand word, serialize at " art history is talked " 88 years 4 period reach 89 years 2 period) , " the Suo Guigui of the picture puts me " (5 1000 words, carry at " divine sword " 85 years 4 period) , " hit into the tradition, the beauty that creates new era " (70 thousand word, incorporate into one's own forces publishs in interesting fast of Hong Kong Chinese ink " collected works of research of comment of work of Huang Qiuyuan of Chinese picture Great Master " in) , " informal discussion writes bamboo " (5 1000 words, carry at " Chinese the four treasures of the study " 95 years 1 period) , " moral quality is high picture from tall " (8 1000 words, carry at " affection the land of country of be in harmony -- Zheng Yukun draws art considers to talk collected works " , " ' essay of picture if person ' " (5 1000 words, carry at " Chinese the four treasures of the study " 96 years 3 period) wait for ten words; Write have " China is painterly history teaching materials " 200 thousand word, chinese painter a series of books " Li Yan " 30 thousand word.
Painterly creation is given priority to with picture of Chinese painting of flowers and birds in traditional Chinese style, plum, bamboo is in the majority, " ancient bronze mirror of treasure of painting and calligraphy of contemporary China a person of academic or artistic distinction " (foreign language press is published) hold the work that write bamboo, " ancient capital writing is sweet " , " extract of painting and calligraphy " , " beautiful city " also the picture is made publish.