Paperback, colour images, 64 pages, W250 x H295mm
This catalogue coincides with the first exhibition in the UK of work
by Shanghai-based Chinese artist Ding Yi at Ikon Gallery. Consisting of
seventeen works, dated from 1989, it follows the development of his
career since he became expressly preoccupied with the repetition of
simple cross motifs, ‘x’ and ‘+’ to create vast aesthetic grids. Such
physical repetition imbues Ding Yi’s work with a mantra-like,
meditative quality. Not surprisingly, the artist cites the Chinese
philosophy of Taoism as a source of inspiration, as well as the neon
quality of Shanghai at night.
Beautiful and thoughtful, the works are quite unlike any other
painting being made today. This publication results from the
constructive collaboration between Ikon and Shanghart. Includes an
interview with the artist by Hans Ulrich Obrist.