孙纪元，1932年生于西安，原籍江苏无锡。1953年毕业于西北艺术学院美术系，1963年业于中央美术学院雕塑研究班，得到刘开渠、傅天仇、钱绍武、王朝闻等先生的教导。雕塑基本功扎实。
1953年至1984年在敦煌文物研究所从事古代雕塑临摹研究及雕塑创作，1957年赴波兰、捷克斯洛伐克举办敦煌艺术展览，1980年出席全国文代会，1981年出席甘肃省文代会，并被聘为副研究员，任美术研究室主任。1982年赴日本举办敦煌艺术展览，1987年获全国城市雕塑规划组授予城市雕塑创作设计资格证书。
1984年调往天水麦积山石窟艺术研究所任所长，1985年获文化部文物事业管理局颁发的从事文博工作三十周年证书，小传先后收录于《中国美术馆藏品集》、《中国当代名人录》、《无锡名人词典》等，1988年聘为研究员，同年主编《中国美术全集》雕塑编之八，由人民美术出版社出版；1990年主编《石窟艺术》由陕西人民出版社出版。1991年至今任甘肃省博物馆研究馆员。历年来临摹敦煌彩塑40余种，深得传统雕塑的启迪，作品多次参加国际国内敦煌艺术展。雕塑创作《瑞雪》、《草原民兵》、《青春》中国美术馆收藏。《青春》中国驻法国大使馆收藏。创作敦煌市城市雕塑及昆明世博园敦煌园《反弹琵琶》（人民大会堂收藏）、嘉峪关市城雕《腾飞》、天水城市雕塑《女娲》、《水荣天乐》、北京毛主席纪念堂北门东组群雕中《农妇》等。
1993年获甘肃敦煌学会敦煌学研究优秀著作奖。主要论文《略论敦煌彩塑及制作》发表于中日合出《中国石窟》敦煌莫高窟；《麦积山石窟雕塑艺术》发表于中日合出《中国石窟》麦积山石窟；《敦煌彩塑及其制作》发表于敦煌研究文集。曾任敦煌文物研究所美术研究室主任、天水麦积山石窟艺术研究所所长、甘肃省第五、六届政协委员、中国美术家协会甘肃分会理事、甘肃省城市雕塑艺术委员会副主任。曾出席第四届全国“文代会”。现任中国美术家协会会员、中国雕塑学会会员、西安美术学院名誉教授、中国美术网艺术委员会副主席、甘肃省博物馆研究员、甘肃纪元文化艺术有限公司艺术总监。

Was born at Xi'an 1932, ancestral home Jiangsu does not have stannum. Was graduated from faculty of art of northwest art institute 1953, course of study studied at sculpture of central academy of fine arts 1963 class, get Liu Kaiqu, Fu Tianchou, Qian Shaowu, dynasty hears those who wait for a gentleman to teach. Sculpture basic training is sound.
Came to was engaged in research of archaic sculpture copy and sculpture creation in institute of Dunhuang cultural relic 1984 1953, went to polish, Czechoslovakia to hold Dunhuang art to exhibit 1957, attended countrywide Wen Daihui 1980, attended Wen Daihui of the Gansu Province 1981, be hired to be deputy researcher, hold the post of art lab director. Went to Japan to hold Dunhuang art to exhibit 1982, obtained series of program of countrywide city sculpture to award urban sculpture to write design qualification letter 1987.
Tone accumulated institute of hill grotto art to hold the post of a strong point toward day water wheat 1984, obtained what management board of career of culture ministry cultural relic issues to be engaged in Wen Bo working 30 years 1985 certificate, close-up is collected early or late at " Chinese art holding tastes collect " , " Chinese contemporary blue book " , " dictionary of the celebrity that do not have stannum " etc, hired 1988 for the researcher, chief editor of of the same age " Chinese art complete works " sculpture makes up, publish by people art publishing house; 1990 chief editor " grotto is artistic " publish by Shaanxi people press. The member that held the post of museum of the Gansu Province to study a house up to now 1991. Painted sculpture of Dunhuang of copy of calendar year advent more than kinds 40, get the edificatory of traditional sculpture greatly, work attends art of international home Dunhuang to exhibit for many times. Sculpture is created " auspicious snow " , " prairie commando " , " green " Chinese art gallery is collected. " green " China is stationed in French embassy to collect. Sculpture of town of creation Dunhuang city and garden of Dunhuang of Kunming world Boyuan " rebound the lute " (people congress hall is collected) , fine valley closes city city carve " fly " , sculpture of day water city " female Wa " , " Shui Rongtian.
Obtained Gansu Province Dunhuang to learn Dunhuang to learn to study excellent book reward 1993. Main thesis " reach by Dunhuang painted sculpture slightly make " publish at Sino-Japanese close " Chinese grotto " Dunhuang Mo Gao hole; " sculptural of Mai Jishan grotto " publish at Sino-Japanese close " Chinese grotto " Mai Jishan grotto; " Dunhuang painted sculpture reachs his to make " publish Yu Duihuang to study collected works. Wheat of water of director of lab of art of institute of cultural relic of Ceng Rendui brilliant, day accumulates director of institute of hill grotto art, the Gansu Province the 5th, vice director of council of sculptural of city of director of chapter of Gansu Province of association of artist of committee member of 6 the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conferences, China, the Gansu Province. Ever attended the 4th whole nation " Wen Daihui " . Currently hold the post ofart of net of art of professor of reputation of academy of fine arts of academician of sculpture of Chinese artist academician, China, Xi'an, China culture of era of researcher of museum of committee vice-chairman, the Gansu Province, Gansu Province is artistic chief inspector of limited company art.