Appearance of Crosses Series: 95-11

Throughout his entire career Ding Yi has been experimenting with colours and materials, investigating the possibilities of watercolour, charcoal, chalk and other options, which enable him to produce stunningly intricate paintings. His style is mostly associated with industrialization, spirituality, urbanity, trance, and vastness. One of the characteristics of his paintings, which can be also seen in Appearance of Crosses 95-11 (Lot 4), comprises of x and y symbols, producing dense formations and patterns. Within the discourse on abstract art, cross is viewed as the most elemental pattern, created by the orthogonal intersection of horizontal and vertical lines, constituting a fundamental visual key. Such symbolic motif is considered to be the artist's main asset and distinguishing trademark. Ding covers papers, fabric and canvas with an endless number of these symbols creating patchwork, or even pixel structures, which allowed an array of forms - from rectangles to triangles - to appear. His expressive depiction of different-sized x and the use of bold brushstrokes are similar to that of Paul Czanne's. Another significant characteristic of Ding Yi's painting is the dualities existing in them, presupposing the presence of Western painterly abstraction and Eastern tradition and contemplation.