This is the first monograph to give an overview of the entire career to date of Chinese artist Ding Yi (b. 1962), whose body of work is characterized by repeated explorations of crosses and grids. Large in scale and extraordinary in detail, Ding Yi's paintings invite a myriad of questions, especially how an intuitive artist works with recurrent patterns and symbols. Tackling this paradox, the authors discuss a range of questions pertinent to the artist, primarily the extent to which Ding Yi's environment and culture have shaped his work. Based on extensive interviews with the artist, Ding Yi presents a definitive portrait of an important contemporary painter and is essential reading for fans and the uninitiated alike.