About
My practice is a quiet observation of decay and permanence. Ink does not compromise; its application is absolute, sharp, and irreversible.
Ding is a Toronto-based Chinese artist who first began learning classical sketching at the age of five. After stepping away from art for a few years to focus on her studies, she found her way back to painting after moving to Canada ten years ago.
Living in a new country brought its own share of unfamiliar experiences, quiet moments, and challenges. Art gradually became a way for her to slow down, make sense of those feelings, and find a sense of home in a place far from home.
Her work explores themes of loneliness, mortality, history, and the many sides of human experience. She is drawn to stories and subjects that are often overlooked, misunderstood, or considered too dark to explore. Through her work, she hopes to bring attention to the beauty and humanity within them, often from a distinctly feminine perspective.
Working primarily with line art and watercolor, Ding draws inspiration from illustration, Impressionism, Chinese freehand painting, and Surrealism. Her style is an evolving mix of these influences, shaped by curiosity, personal experiences, and a love of storytelling.
For Ding, every artwork begins with a story worth telling, a feeling worth exploring, or a person worth remembering.