Pinterest

Q & A with Red Hong Yi

Thursday, 15 August 2013
Hong Yi's explosion into the world of YouTube has created such a sensation that she has been featured in numerous websites, magazines and newspapers from one end of the world to the other. She's an unconventional artist who doesn't paint with a paintbrush or crayon for that matter. Her life hasn't been the same since. She has been zipping across a few continents and managed to fit this interview between her conferences (she's been invited to speak at TedxKL, EG etc) with the help of her mom, Terri, a popular Malaysian food blogger.


Top photo via Esquire



Name and occupation
Hong is my family name ('Kang' in Mandarin, and it means healthy in Chinese, not red as reported in most articles) and Yi is my first name. I don't have a middle name like most Chinese because 'single names' are common among Shanghainese (my Dad is from Shanghai). I am an architect-artist, now known as Red Hong Yi because of the play on my family name which spells like 'red' in Chinese-Mandarin. 

Your favorite food
I love soto and soup tulang (Malaysian beef soup and noodles) and I've been starved of these dishes for the past month because it was Ramadan! I prefer Asian cuisine (Chinese, Japanese, Korean (oh!), Thai, Vietnamese---there's so much variation in flavors and ingredients--- to Western although I do love cheeses, salads and steaks.

3 edible things that'll never pass through your lips
Exotic meat, bugs, worms...

Your pet peeves
People who talk when I am watching a movie. I know many who do that.

How would you describe your life now?
Like a dream come true! My schedule is very busy, with deadlines and a lot of travel, but because I enjoy what I'm doing, I wake up looking forward to work everyday!

Favorite cities
Berlin, Shanghai, Melbourne, Paris and New York. 



 
5 favorite items in your closet
My black go-everywhere MiuMiu bag, a pair of Rag & Bone jeans given to me by Rag & Bone New York, a grey Theory dress for when I want to be taken seriously, a sundress I bought from Rome for 10 euros that I wear all the time when I'm back in Malaysia because it's so hot, and an old brown leather jacket that I picked up in some market in Shanghai. 

Best gift you've ever received
Chowder, my 10-month Chow Chow mutt. Best ever ever gift.

Best advice you've ever received
DON'T GIVE UP. 


Favorite must reads (blogs, books, journals, magazines etc)
I wish I have the luxury of reading time! When I travel, I bring books on business and Chinese culture to read on the plane. I loved to check out blogs but now I never have enough time although I always check out Gary Pepper's Instagram, daily! 
  
 
How many languages do you speak?
Growing up in Malaysia, multilinguality is common so I speak English, Malay and Chinese (Mandarin, Shanghainese and some Cantonese).

3 things you can't live without
My iPhone, Apple laptop and my family, which includes my dog, Chowder.

5 most asked questions on your blog/YouTube/Twitter/Instagram/life
How long did it take me to do an artpiece, how did I get the idea for an artpiece, where do I see myself as an artist-architect in 5 years, how old am I, are you an artist or an architect?


My daughter is a massive fan of yours. How do you feel about having a 7 year old as your apprentice? 
Thrilled! I'd love to meet Lil L (she is so lovely!) and spend time with her one day! I hear she's extremely bright, fun and speaks the most exquisite English. The British accent, by the way is my favorite English accent (I'm going to ship Lil L to Yi for a week. She may change her mind after the experience!)
Thank you Marlene, for interviewing me, and I think your blog and photos are excellent!
Red Hong Yi

**A HUGE thank you to Red Hong Yi's mom, Terri for making this interview possible.

8 comments:

  1. Great interview; I've always been fascinated by her work. She's uber talented.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a totally cool person! And beautiful too. And how does she do that - even the paint smudges on her arms are sublime!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Loved reading this interview! Her work is amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  4. wow marlene, this post is beautiful; you've made the photos come alive (those worn out jeans don't look so bad in the photo)! THANK YOU tons for this writeup, and lil L is welcome to stay for as long as she wants!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I like her too, she is pretty , and talented at the same time.

    regards,
    shan ty wong

    ReplyDelete
  6. thanks so much for featuring me in ur beautiful blog marlene!! xo

    ReplyDelete
  7. Algunas tiendas de Internet que venden bolsos michael kors baratos tienen los estilos más novedosos y más recientes que Coach tiene para ofrecer. bolsos michael kors baratos son los líderes en su mercado y lo han sido desde hace algún tiempo. Dado que bolsas michael kors outlet es tan alcanzable debido a sus precios más bajos, se ha convertido en el Bolsos Michael Kors Baratos más popular hasta la fecha.(Fuente de:Michaelkors.es)

    Om du letar efter Michael Kors Väska Rea och vill betala ett visst pris, är det bästa sättet att gå till det via auktionswebbplatser. Skulle du bara ge upp att äga en autentisk Michael Kors Väska helt och hållet eftersom du vet att din budget inte tillåter det? Eller skulle du söka på Internet för den Väskor Michael Kors Rea i hopp om att du hittar det för några dollar mindre? Om din dröm är att äga michael kors väska rea, gör dina drömmar giltiga genom att gå online och hitta den michael kors plånbok som du vill ha.(Källa från:michaelkorsvaskas.com)

    La première étape pour obtenir Longchamp Soldes Destockage à prix réduit consiste à aller en ligne. La deuxième étape consisterait à rechercher des sites proposant des Longchamp Soldes dans votre budget d'achat. Je connais un endroit formidable qui propose des chaussures, des accessoires et des mercedes longchamp pour non seulement quelques dollars de moins que le commerce de détail, mais des centaines de moins. La bonne solution serait de chercher ailleurs ce sac longchamp solde en particulier et bien d’autres jusqu’à ce que vous l’obteniez et de ne jamais abandonner vos rêves.(Source à partir de:saclongchampspascher.com)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Over the years there have been many different Michael Kors Outlet Store launched with some being more successful than others. Even the Michael Kors Outlet that did not reach the dizzying heights of success as some of Michael Kors's best sellers were still very, very well made leather handbags. One such Michael Kors Outlet Store Online that became a fashion icon was the Michael Kors Wristlet Sale.
    If you want to get more information,click here!
    Ray Ban Sale Uk
    Ray Ban Sunglasses Sale Uk
    Cheap Ray Bans
    Oakley Sunglasses UK
    Oakley Sunglasses Sale
    Oakley Sunglasses Sale

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...