The Appearance of Crosses series, initiated in 1988, is a seminal practice in Chinese contemporary abstract painting. The “cross” symbol originates from the registration marks used in the printing industry. Ding Yi adopted this motif specifically for its lack of narrative meaning or symbolic function, allowing him to strip painting down to its formal essence and realize the philosophy that “form is spirit.” For over three decades, Ding has explored the infinite possibilities within the constraint of the cross unit. His stylistic evolution spans three distinct perspectives: the “Level View” of the early rationalist phase, the “Aerial View” reflecting the neon-lit urbanization of Shanghai, and the recent “Uplooking View” which adopts a more cosmic orientation. Ding operates within strict self-imposed limitations, believing that by reducing elements to a minimum, the fundamental essence of art is revealed through continuous labor and repetitive refinement.

“十示”系列始于1988年，是中国当代抽象绘画的先驱性实践。这一符号源自印刷业的套色校准线，丁乙选取它正是因其不具叙事含义与象征功能，从而能将绘画还原至形式本质，实践“形式即精神”的理念。三十余年来，丁乙在“十”字单元的限制中展开探索，其风格历经了三个视角的演变：早期追求机械精确的“平视”、反映都市化繁荣的“瞰视”，以及近年转向宇宙观思考的“仰视”。丁乙倾向于在极简的自我限定中工作，通过连续性的劳作与重复，在限定的最低限度中牵引出艺术的本质，建立起深邃的内部思想世界。