Ding Fang: Renaissance of the East

China’s artistic “Renaissance” is not merely following the Western Renaissance of seven hundred years ago. Rather, Chinese artists are exploring traditional Chinese culture while drawing on contemporary ideas from the East and the West, gathering energy from diverse sources. The texture of Ding Fang’s works draws inspiration from the wind-eroded landforms commonly seen in Northwest China. His work incorporates painting techniques from Eastern and Western art history, displaying a unique repertoire of Chinese expressionism. The paintings evoke the sublime, the tragic, and the beautiful to establish a  “Chinese art of the mind.” Contemporary Chinese arts and culture have reached an inflection point. Only by crossing the boundaries of civilizations can we achieve transformation, a “Renaissance of the East.”       -- Ding Fang