ROSIE DING
Bodies
Distorted Anatomy
Representations of anatomical forms are frequently found in my work. They often appear exaggerated, contorted, mutilated, or otherwise extracted from their usual contexts. Different body parts each hold a rich and unique reservoir of symbolism. The form I’m most drawn to, aside from the finger, is the pointed ellipses of the eye and the vulva.
Works of this nature are naturally visceral, and mine especially often inch toward the grotesque. Sometimes I turn to conventional mediums like painting or ceramics; other times, I challenge artistic boundaries through performance. My limbs act as brushes, my torso becomes the canvas, and my consciousness floats in and out as my body mutates.
Form and Symbolism
Symbolically, the eye serves as a portal, linking the mind's internal processes to its perception of the external world—a conduit for energy and communication. Similarly, the vulva acts as a portal, bridging life and death, representing the origin of existence and our first contact with the world. Despite their differences, both function as intermediaries between states, embodying concepts of fluctuation, fluidity, and uncertainty. This uncertainty, whether emotional or existential, has always captivated me.
The eye, the vulva
The scrutinizer, the scrutinized
Physical & Psychological Distortion
French philosopher Gilles Deleuze (1925-1995) once attributed the signature contortion of facial features in the works of British expressionist painter Francis Bacon (1909-1992) to “a sense of unease of expressing individual identity within the comfort of one’s own physical being.” Similar to Bacon’s approach, my work manifests existential dread, using abstracted and contorted anatomical features to portray psychological disturbances like feelings of pain, confusion, lack of control, and identity loss.