Imao Keinen was born to a family in the textile business (Iseya for Inosuke Imao) and trained from age 11 as a picture master to provide imagery for yūzen textiles. He first studied ukiyo-e style with Umegawa Tōkyo, then turned to Suzuki Hyakunen, who favored the Nanga school. He named himself for his father's most beloved artist, Matsumura Keibun. He was hired at age 30 by the Nishmura Sōzaemon company (now Chisō) to design embroidered pictures. He also worked for Iida Shinshichi (Takashimaya), and would win prizes at the 1893 Columbian World's Fair in Chicago, followed by a silver medal for the 1900 Paris Exposition Unverselle, and a gold medal at the Saint Louis World Exposition.. Beginning in 1888, he taught at Kyoto Prefectural School of Painting, and would become an Imperial Artist in 1904, following his gold medal in Saint Louis. He was elected as a member of the Imperial Art Academy in 1919. He specialized in bird and flower paintings and prints.