Crafty time
Vlogger shows talent for turning everyday items into fine accessories
For the past month, Chinese residents have been strictly limiting their need to leave their homes, either by choice or by order, in a bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
As they wait out the epidemic, many people confined to their homes try to conquer their boredom by doing things that will make the extended Spring Festival break fulfilling, such as reading books, watching movies, working out, improving their culinary skills and making handicrafts out of mundane things found around the home. For those of a creative bent, it might be worth following He Hongyan, a Chengdu-based vlogger who has demonstrated her talent for turning commonplace materials into astonishingly exquisite accessories.
From the video clips she has posted on Bilibili and other social media platforms, we can watch as she applies a golden touch to odds and ends found around the home, ranging from a small box or beverage can to tissues and sandpaper, creating ornaments with complex designs and sublime craftsmanship.
Some are copies of striking headgear from hit TV costume dramas, including Story of Yanxi Palace and Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace, while others are a series of accessories that draw inspiration from the ancient Chinese myths featured in Shanhaijing, or The Classic of Mountains and Seas.
“I enjoy the process of making an exquisite, complex decorative object from scratch and to explore the possibilities of materials,” she explains. “The use of commonplace things makes it even more challenging, therefore giving me a stronger sense of accomplishment when I finally make it happen.”
In one of her videos, the ingenious vlogger demonstrated how she made a Peking Opera headdress using 18 recycled beverage cans, a few metal wires and handful of goose feathers.
The end result appears gradually as she shapes, embellishes and assembles all of the elements and installs them on a frame made of metal wires.
Despite the video lasting around 10 minutes, He says that it was actually quite time-consuming, taking a total of 200 hours to complete.
Her videos uploaded to Bilibili, including this one, have notched up more than 6 million views in total and won her nearly 30 million subscribers who are amazed by her dexterous hands and ingenious mind.
One would imagine that she had been creating such intricate pieces for a long time, but her passion for it only really sparked around two years ago.
The North Sichuan Medical College graduate once worked as a nurse at a local hospital.
She says she had been keen on painting and wanted to study at a college specializing in fine arts, but finally chose medicine as her major, as much due to its stable job prospects as to please her parents.
In 2016, she finally decided to follow her heart. She quit the job, began to learn makeup skills, and later became a freelance makeup artist.
During a training session, the instructor brought a handmade piece of headwear to the class. Upon first sight of the item, He was riveted by its beauty and novelty, immediately intrigued by the craft and mind-boggling volume of work behind the piece. She endeavored to learn as much as she could about the history of such accessories and to try her hand at making such decorative creations herself.
He’s hard work paid off in September 2018 when she worked out how to make ronghua, or velvet flowers, an ancient Chinese accessory.
“I was not content with the production of a hairpin or other relatively simple accessories. I want each of my pieces to embody my own aesthetic tastes and to be unique enough to be remembered by viewers,” she says.
Her unrelenting pursuit of high quality and uniqueness opened the door to a new career — toward the end of last year she became a full-time handicraft and makeup vlogger.
She knows that the key for her to be a qualified, productive vlogger is to make more intriguing accessories based on the charm of Chinese history and tradition.
In a video released in October, He presented the elegance of ancient noblewomen found on the frescos in the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, Gansu province, by reproducing their garments, accessories and makeup.
Her videos have also attracted praise from overseas viewers who are impressed by her work. To find the reason why, perhaps look no further than this comment from a YouTube user named Renata Carrey: “I don’t actually understand your language, but I don’t think I have to, since the language of art is universal. Your video is amazing and mesmerizing! Such a talented artist! Subscribed.”