Ding Li was born in 1979 in Shanghai and graduated with a MA from the Oil Painting Department of the Academy of Fine Arts in Paris, France (École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-arts de Paris). The works of Ding Li are based on repeated experiments with the aim of defining a pure expression of his own in this media. His practice focuses on the exploration of painting developed from material characteristics and presents a new visual language through the reconstruction of oil paints, spray paints, brushes and frames.

His recent exhibitions include: “Symphony of All the Changes: The 7th Guangzhou Triennial”, Guangdong Musuem of Art, Guangzhou, 2023; “Youth Painting”, Boxes Art Space, Shenzhen, China, 2022; “Ding Li: Curb Your Enthusiasm”, MadeIn Gallery, Shanghai, 2021; “18th Sea Horizon Painting and Sculpture Exhibition”, China Art Museum, Shanghai, China, 2020; “Ding Li: April 12th, No. 106, 2879 Longteng Avenue”, MadeIn Gallery, Shanghai China, 2020; “Ding Li: Robert Song”, MadeIn Gallery, Shanghai, China, 2019; “Wild Metropolis”, Powerlong Museum, Shanghai, China, 2019; “Advent: Inventing Landscape, Producing the Earth”, Qianshao Contemporary Art Center, Shanghai, China, 2019; “Extreme Mix-Guangzhou Airport Biennale”, Guangzhou, China, 2019; “The Kind Stranger”, UNArt Center, Shanghai, 2019; “The Variable and The Generating”, MadeIn Gallery, Shanghai, 2019; “In the Name of December 12.”, Imagokinetics Lab, Hangzhou, China, 2018; “The First Porsche “Young Chinese Artist of the Year” Nominees’ Exhibition, Modern Art Museum, Shanghai, China, 2017; “Yellspace Programme Exhibition—Partial Archive”, Yell Space, Shanghai, China, 2019; “Serendipitous Mission”, MadeIn Gallery, Shanghai, China, 2017; “Form Consumption Over Substance Reflection”, MadeIn Gallery, Shanghai, China, 2017; “Information Sculpture Superhighway”, MadeIn Gallery, Shanghai, China, 2016; “Inventing Ritual”, Bentu, Chinese artists at a time of turbulence and transformation, Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris, France, 2016; “Not Impulsive Enough Is the Devil”, MadeIn Gallery, Shanghai, China, 2015.