When gazing a mountain, Ding Beili sees far beyond the mountain. It is a methodology, in which Ding paints her ink painting, and in which we appreciate traditional Chinese ink paintings.

Chinese ink art is composed of the most ethereal and substantial parts of Chinese culture. History and tradition leave marks on ink art by emphasizing the materials it demands: rice paper, brushes, and ink, as well as the composition, seals, and inscriptions. Yet Ding goes no further than adopting the traditional materials in her art. She embraces traditional culture in spirit and embodies modern art in real. Standing in front of Ding's artwork, we can see endless layers of faraway mountains, the dense haze and mist, and among them glimmering paths and cottages, either in a distant or a close view. By not eyes, but heart, Ding Beili "sees" all these existence. With a pure and transparent heart, Ding created a world gentle and untarnished; we are all invited into the realm she created by her paintings—in a simplest and most ingenious way. Ding Beili is depicting the intricate surroundings, which is ignored by most of us willingly, "this is an ultimate contemporary narrative space. " In the same time, her artwork seems to penetrate the time and bring us to face the mountains and water in the southern Yangtze River area a thousand years ago. Gazing the mountain is the same way as we are gazing our life, or maybe not.

Courtesy of AroundSpace Gallery