Visionary: The beautiful mind of artist Dai Ying
Chinese-born multidiscipline world-renowned artist Dai Ying, a luminary in the realm of contemporary painting, instillations, and performance art, weaves intricate narratives of tradition and feminist-inspired innovation through her captivating creations. Presently residing in New York, Los Angeles, and Beijing, Dai Ying recently showed at New York’s Future Fair at Chelsea Industrial in tandem with the Frieze New York earlier this month and additionally partnered with the Pashmina Art Gallery in Hamburg, Germany where she will be donating some works of art for their Louis Vuitton and Dior sponsored art auction which will benefit the rescue of Asian street dogs. She next has a solo show later this month in Beijing, China. Born in the rural village of Emei Mountain, Sichuan, China, Dai Ying developed a profound connection with the rich cultural heritage of her homeland from an early age. Surrounded by the poetic beauty of Chinese landscapes and the profound philosophy of ink painting, she began creating her own work at the age of 5, drawing inspiration from the classical ink masters while infusing her work with a fresh perspective. Dai pursued her academic interests at the Academy of Arts & Design at Tsinghua University and the Central Academy of Fine Arts in China, participating in Associate Fellows programs. Her artistic journey took her across continents, where she immersed herself in the vibrant tapestry of global art scenes, gaining insights and inspiration from encounters with different cultures and perspectives. She began working on her ongoing and evolving painting series M Theory, which is a philosophical interpretation of the origin of the universe – with bright color and round shapes symbolizing a woman’s womb and the creation of life, creating the perfect balance of theoretical beliefs and innate feelings.
She moved to New York in 2011 to fully pursue her passion for art, but was pulled back to China in 2017 when her father became terminally ill. He was a lifelong construction worker and Dai unexpectedly found solace in exploring a local construction site which reminded her of the happiest times of her childhood, visiting her father at his work. It was here where she found her inspiration for her acclaimed exhibition In Memory of Forgotten at the Today Art Museum in Beijing (2020), as well as her installation pieces Look At Me and Temple which included scraps of trash and forgotten construction site materials left over from residential buildings that were destroyed by the Chinese government to make way for industry. Dai wanted a focus on the unseen lives that were inevitably left forever disrupted and changed by the new development, and connected to this feeling as an outsider herself growing up in a rural community away from the big city. In 2023, she delved into performance art, circling back on her roots of Origin and tapping into the Chinese philosophy that life is born from earth and as we die, we regenerate back to earth. With her show Suddenly Moon White, Dai sat in a mound of dirt and continuously dug through it with her hands – symbolizing both the death and search for her father, and also the futile use of her actions. In No Dust to be Wiped, she asked a diaspora of 108 (a symbolic number in Buddhism) audience members that had been displaced, to bring a jar of soil from their homeland. The concept was again connected back to mother earth and our birth origins, while also connecting with others to create a sense of belonging and community.
Dai Ying has exhibited her works globally, including Huguo Guanyin Temple in Beijing, Guo Yunlou Cultural and Art Center in Suzhou, Beijing, the Today Art Museum in Beijing, Asian Fusion Gallery in New York. She has also been featured in group exhibitions at venues such as Cui Zhenkuan Art Museum (Xi’an, China), Ruotong Gallery (Shenzhen, China), YOUNG Art Museum (Shanghai, China), Taoxichuan Art Museum (Jingdezhen, China), Kommunale Galerie (Berlin, Germany), Pasadena Convention Center (Los Angeles, CA), and World Trade Center Baltimore, MD, among others. Dai Ying's art has been recognized in publications such as “Chinese Morphological Expressionism” Xi’an, China, “Chinese Female Art”, “Asia Art” (New York, NY. She has received numerous honors and awards, including Outstanding Artist Awards from the World Art Center and Asia Art Funds, and Great Achievements Award from the United Nations Artists Association. Dai has served on the board of directors at the Asia Art Funds and has been a researcher with the World Art Center since 2015.
Central to Dai Ying's artistic vision is her deep reverence for nature and humanity, and its immutable rhythms. Drawing inspiration from the ever-changing seasons and the transient beauty of the natural world, she imbues her works with a sense of serenity and contemplation, inviting viewers to pause and reflect on the interconnectedness of all things. Beyond her achievements as a visual artist, Dai Ying is also a passionate advocate for cultural exchange and an advocate for women’s rights and empowerment, seeing herself as a juxtapose of feminine energy and emotions alongside masculine power and revolutionary ideas. Through workshops, lectures, and community outreach programs, she seeks to inspire the next generation of artists and foster a deeper appreciation for the beauty and diversity of global artistic traditions. As she continues to push the boundaries of her craft, Dai Ying remains steadfast in her commitment to exploring new horizons and pushing the limits of artistic expression.
