b. 1962, Shanghai; lives and works in Shanghai

Crosses 08
2008
Serigraphy
11.6 x 8.3 in
Edition size: 200

Since the mid-1980s, Ding Yi has produced an immense body of abstract paintings on different supports — from canvas to cardboard and ready-made fabrics to furniture — using diverse media, such as oil, acrylic, charcoal, and ballpoint pen. His colors are varied, ranging from quasi-monochrome to vast combinations. The results create constantly oscillating impulses on our retinas and are, therefore, highly exciting perceptions.

Within all this variation, however, Ding Yi’s paintings are also excessively repetitive and systematic. All his works are motifs: 十 and 示, the two most basic elements in color printing technology. Ding Yi appropriates these “primitive" elements and transforms them into the essential structure, the unique “content” of his painting. Ding Yi’s engagement with these simplest marks reduces painting to its minimal state. In other words, the process of painting is no longer a search for any narrative or emotional expression. His subject matter is by no means “painterly”; these characters are simply traces of handwriting.

For Ding Yi, painting is a test for his boundless determination. This determination is first and foremost a perennial pursuit for an independent position in an art world infatuated with fashions and trends. In this context, his choice to remain unchanged can be understood as a strong reaction against such a “mainstream.“

— Barry Schwabsky, Vitamin P: New Perspectives in Painting. (New York: Phaidon Press Ltd., 2002), 84.

NOTE | This print is issued by Yishu Art Editions and includes a complimentary copy of Yishu: Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art. Launched in 2007, Yishu Art Editions presents limited-edition prints and photographs by some of today’s most important Chinese artists. Each edition is commissioned by and entirely produced for Yishu, offering collectors high-quality artwork while promoting contemporary Chinese art to a wide audience. Yishu: Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art is the first English-language journal to focus on Chinese contemporary art and culture. Since its inauguration in May 2002, Yishu has raised its profile internationally to become one of the most respected journals devoted to contemporary Chinese art.


+ + +

All artworks ship from Honolulu. Shipping costs are the responsibility of the buyer. Applicable sales tax will apply to all works shipped within Hawaiʻi. Please note, bidders will be charged for the total purchase price; 3% processing fee, 2.9% credit card transaction fee, plus $0.30 per transaction, if applicable; and any sales tax, based on your registration address. For transactions over $10,000, you will be given the option to pay via wire transfer. Please direct inquiries to events@hawaiicontemporary.org.