Ding Yi’s goal was to “make painting that was not like painting,” and he succeeded. The Chinese artist is world renowned for his vibrant and complex work that merges the energy and freedom of painting with the structures and systems of design. His painstaking creative process is the culmination of precision, rigour and technical skill. In his early works, he used complex calculations to map out a structure for his composition. He applies paint, removing all texture from his brushwork. Painting straight from the tube, employing rulers, tape and drafting pens to achieve an aesthetic akin to the mechanical precision of industrial design — a process demanding intense focus, concentration and discipline.
Here, we talk to Ding about his artistic journey so far, how he developed his creative language and how China’s evolution has been his most important inspiration.
