1960 年生于黑⻰江，1978 年入学吉林大学物理系学研。1983 年至 1988 年在吉林大学古籍研究所任资料员，并在此期间系统学习了中国 古文字学研究班的全部课程。1995 年进入东北师范大学世界古典文明研究所攻读古埃及学，获历史学博士。其后任教于中央美术学院书法专业。物理学、古文字、古埃及学成为刘彦湖的学术基底。物理学给予他认知的框架和方法论。而古文字学涉及语言学、文献学、文学、考古学、历史学等多个学科，蕴藏着中国文字和文明更渊源久远的演变，也带给他对于中国书法高屋建瓴的视⻆。古埃及学给予他关于人类文明的开阔视野，以至书法艺术与世界文明对视。这三个学科构成了刘彦湖对书法不同于常规向度的介入，也在其书写实践中得以实证。
Born in Heilongjiang in 1960, enrolled master degree at Physics Department in Jilin University since 1978. Worked as Researcher of Paleography in Jilin University from 1983 to 1988, systematically studied all courses of antiquity and calligraphy during this period. Then studied Ancient Egyptology at Institute of World Traditional Civilization at Northeast Normal University, graduated with PhD of history major. Afterwards, he taught calligraphy at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Physics, codex, and ancient Egyptology became fundamental academics of Liu Yanhu. Physics possessed cognitive framework and methodology to him. Paleography involves linguistics, philology, literature, archaeology, and history, etc., pursuing the iteration of Chinese paleography and civilization, provided him with expert vision on calligraphy. Ancient Egyptology gave him a broad perspective on humanity civilization, includes the joints of calligraphy and global culture. Triple degrees form an invasion in calligraphy, which is different from conventional dimensions, and demonstrate in his writing practice.
