Kota Kinabalu: The inaugural two-day Sabah Creative Economy Summit 25 climaxed on Tuesday (April 15) in a vivid story from iconic Sabah-born creative industry champion, Red Hong Yi, on her journey to global artistic stardom during a “Special Session” moderated by TS Dr Ramzah Dambul, Chief Executive Officer of Institute of Development Studies Sabah (IDS).
Hong Yi burst to fame in April 2013 after an image of China’s top international basketball star, Yao Ming, which she created on canvas using only a basketball and red paint went viral in social media, CNN included, while she was working in Shanghai as an architect.
Since then she has made stunning works of art and installations using every-day objects and materials.But Red Hong Yi is a classic example of a Sabah-born creative who has expanded internationally with renown aspired to officially, from all the key Summit speeches heard.
Notable creations include movie star Jackie Chan’s portrait with 64,000 chopsticks, Teh Tarik Man with 20,000 tea bags, top Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei’s face with 20,000 sunflower seeds, Time Magazine April 26, 2021 edition “Climate is Everything” cover globe map with 50,000 green-tipped match sticks, done in Kuala Lumpur with a talented team of creatives.