Yi Sang-Bom was born in Gongju, graduated from Seo Wha Art Institute in 1918, and was the recipient of a "Sun" exhibition prize. He worked as a reporter at Dong Ah Il Bo (a leading Korean newspaper) during the period 1927-37, and taught at Hong-Ik University in the 1950's. He became a member of the Ye Sul Won art society in 1954. Yi Sang-Bom won the March 1st Cultural Award in 1962 and the Seoul City Cultural Prize in 1966. He is well known as a landscape painter.