b. 1995, Guangzhou, China
Lives and works in Beijing, China

Ding Hongdan’s paintings focus on the real life and spiritual state of her peers in the new reality. She presents contemporary women’s multiple reflections on daily life and social relationships through a realistic approach.

Ding Hongdan entered the Affiliated High School of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2010. From 2014 to 2021, she studied at the Third Studio of the Oil Painting Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Currently, she is pursuing her PhD at the Central Academy of Fine Arts under the guidance of Professor Liu Xiaodong. Recent selected museum solo exhibition includes ‘Afraid’, Start Museum, Shanghai, China (2023). Recent group exhibitions include: ‘The Dancing Floor of the World’, Gravity Art Museum, Beijing, China (2024); ‘The Quest of Young Artists’, Each Modern, Taipei, China (2024); ‘The 2nd TAG-New Contemporary: Seaward’, Tag Art Museum, Qingdao, China (2024) and is the winner of the 2nd TAG-New Contemporary Tidal Wave Awards. Her works are included in the permanent collection of Start Museum, Shanghai, China; Zhi Foundation, Beijing, China; X Museum, Beijing, China and CAFA Art Museum, Beijing, China.

The inspiration for Toy Museum originated from the artist’s trip in Tallinn, Estonia. The puppets depicted in the paintings possess an uncanny human likeness, transcending both gender and temporal constraints. These three puppets symbolize the myriad choices individuals face across different dimensions. When people adorn themselves with these inanimate puppets, the souls of the puppets are awakened, narrating stories of past and future lives through their fantastical and enigmatic postures.

The dressing mirror embodies the evolving perceptions of wealth and status across different eras, intertwining notions of truth and illusion, visibility and invisibility. It delves into the realms of boundless space and overlapping identities. In Dressing Mirror, the separation of the frame depicted in the painting from the painting’s ornate outer frame delineates three distinct worlds: the physical, the illusory, and the realm of desire. Within the mirror, a Barbie-like ego is reflected, characterized by blonde hair, straight legs, and feet perpetually poised for high heels. It is a projection of symbols of desire, and reflects the modern woman’s relentless pursuit of the perfect image.

b. 1995, Guangzhou, China
Lives and works in Beijing, China

Ding Hongdan’s paintings focus on the real life and spiritual state of her peers in the new reality. She presents contemporary women’s multiple reflections on daily life and social relationships through a realistic approach.

Ding Hongdan entered the Affiliated High School of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2010. From 2014 to 2021, she studied at the Third Studio of the Oil Painting Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Currently, she is pursuing her PhD at the Central Academy of Fine Arts under the guidance of Professor Liu Xiaodong. Recent selected museum solo exhibition includes ‘Afraid’, Start Museum, Shanghai, China (2023). Recent group exhibitions include: ‘The Dancing Floor of the World’, Gravity Art Museum, Beijing, China (2024); ‘The Quest of Young Artists’, Each Modern, Taipei, China (2024); ‘The 2nd TAG-New Contemporary: Seaward’, Tag Art Museum, Qingdao, China (2024) and is the winner of the 2nd TAG-New Contemporary Tidal Wave Awards. Her works are included in the permanent collection of Start Museum, Shanghai, China; Zhi Foundation, Beijing, China; X Museum, Beijing, China and CAFA Art Museum, Beijing, China.

The inspiration for Toy Museum originated from the artist’s trip in Tallinn, Estonia. The puppets depicted in the paintings possess an uncanny human likeness, transcending both gender and temporal constraints. These three puppets symbolize the myriad choices individuals face across different dimensions. When people adorn themselves with these inanimate puppets, the souls of the puppets are awakened, narrating stories of past and future lives through their fantastical and enigmatic postures.

The dressing mirror embodies the evolving perceptions of wealth and status across different eras, intertwining notions of truth and illusion, visibility and invisibility. It delves into the realms of boundless space and overlapping identities. In Dressing Mirror, the separation of the frame depicted in the painting from the painting’s ornate outer frame delineates three distinct worlds: the physical, the illusory, and the realm of desire. Within the mirror, a Barbie-like ego is reflected, characterized by blonde hair, straight legs, and feet perpetually poised for high heels. It is a projection of symbols of desire, and reflects the modern woman’s relentless pursuit of the perfect image.

b. 1995, Guangzhou, China
Lives and works in Beijing, China

Ding Hongdan’s paintings focus on the real life and spiritual state of her peers in the new reality. She presents contemporary women’s multiple reflections on daily life and social relationships through a realistic approach.

Ding Hongdan entered the Affiliated High School of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2010. From 2014 to 2021, she studied at the Third Studio of the Oil Painting Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Currently, she is pursuing her PhD at the Central Academy of Fine Arts under the guidance of Professor Liu Xiaodong. Recent selected museum solo exhibition includes ‘Afraid’, Start Museum, Shanghai, China (2023). Recent group exhibitions include: ‘The Dancing Floor of the World’, Gravity Art Museum, Beijing, China (2024); ‘The Quest of Young Artists’, Each Modern, Taipei, China (2024); ‘The 2nd TAG-New Contemporary: Seaward’, Tag Art Museum, Qingdao, China (2024) and is the winner of the 2nd TAG-New Contemporary Tidal Wave Awards. Her works are included in the permanent collection of Start Museum, Shanghai, China; Zhi Foundation, Beijing, China; X Museum, Beijing, China and CAFA Art Museum, Beijing, China.

The inspiration for Toy Museum originated from the artist’s trip in Tallinn, Estonia. The puppets depicted in the paintings possess an uncanny human likeness, transcending both gender and temporal constraints. These three puppets symbolize the myriad choices individuals face across different dimensions. When people adorn themselves with these inanimate puppets, the souls of the puppets are awakened, narrating stories of past and future lives through their fantastical and enigmatic postures.

The dressing mirror embodies the evolving perceptions of wealth and status across different eras, intertwining notions of truth and illusion, visibility and invisibility. It delves into the realms of boundless space and overlapping identities. In Dressing Mirror, the separation of the frame depicted in the painting from the painting’s ornate outer frame delineates three distinct worlds: the physical, the illusory, and the realm of desire. Within the mirror, a Barbie-like ego is reflected, characterized by blonde hair, straight legs, and feet perpetually poised for high heels. It is a projection of symbols of desire, and reflects the modern woman’s relentless pursuit of the perfect image.

b. 1995, Guangzhou, China
Lives and works in Beijing, China

Ding Hongdan’s paintings focus on the real life and spiritual state of her peers in the new reality. She presents contemporary women’s multiple reflections on daily life and social relationships through a realistic approach.

Ding Hongdan entered the Affiliated High School of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2010. From 2014 to 2021, she studied at the Third Studio of the Oil Painting Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Currently, she is pursuing her PhD at the Central Academy of Fine Arts under the guidance of Professor Liu Xiaodong. Recent selected museum solo exhibition includes ‘Afraid’, Start Museum, Shanghai, China (2023). Recent group exhibitions include: ‘The Dancing Floor of the World’, Gravity Art Museum, Beijing, China (2024); ‘The Quest of Young Artists’, Each Modern, Taipei, China (2024); ‘The 2nd TAG-New Contemporary: Seaward’, Tag Art Museum, Qingdao, China (2024) and is the winner of the 2nd TAG-New Contemporary Tidal Wave Awards. Her works are included in the permanent collection of Start Museum, Shanghai, China; Zhi Foundation, Beijing, China; X Museum, Beijing, China and CAFA Art Museum, Beijing, China.

The inspiration for Toy Museum originated from the artist’s trip in Tallinn, Estonia. The puppets depicted in the paintings possess an uncanny human likeness, transcending both gender and temporal constraints. These three puppets symbolize the myriad choices individuals face across different dimensions. When people adorn themselves with these inanimate puppets, the souls of the puppets are awakened, narrating stories of past and future lives through their fantastical and enigmatic postures.

The dressing mirror embodies the evolving perceptions of wealth and status across different eras, intertwining notions of truth and illusion, visibility and invisibility. It delves into the realms of boundless space and overlapping identities. In Dressing Mirror, the separation of the frame depicted in the painting from the painting’s ornate outer frame delineates three distinct worlds: the physical, the illusory, and the realm of desire. Within the mirror, a Barbie-like ego is reflected, characterized by blonde hair, straight legs, and feet perpetually poised for high heels. It is a projection of symbols of desire, and reflects the modern woman’s relentless pursuit of the perfect image.