PROVENANCE:
Christie’s New York, March 24, 2011, lot 1182
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Ding's paintings of birds and flowers capture the essence of Zhu Da, Xu Wei, and Jin Nong but are yet also expressive of his own singular style. His brushstrokes were bold and daring, the layout revolutionary, the blank spaces imbued with meaning, and the imagery full of depth. Ding excelled in incorporating the conceptual aesthetics of traditional Chinese ink painting with the unbridled willfulness of Western Fauvism. He used clean flowing lines and infused a simplistic vitality into his images to create his own unique style of expression. The emphasis of the work lies in the absolute return to origin. It’s the celebration of a return to a child-like drawing of both innocence and clumsiness” with content that is however all-encompassing and complex.