Reading Comprehension: an Amazing Malaysian Artist called RED.

Hello everyone,

We rarely write about art but today’s post is all about creativity and innovation. But this is about to change!

RED is a painter, but a very special one. She doesn’t paint with paint brushes, instead, she used whatever she can find: rocks, milk, shirts, balls and even coffee cups!

She is from Sabah, Malaysia, although she spent a lot of years in Melbourne. Now , she lives in Shanghai where she is exploring more artistic trends.

RED is inspired to create portraits of famous Chinese people, such as Yao Ming and Jay Chou. Although she also painted Justin Bieber…

During an interview in Shanghai she said: “I didn’t bring my paintbrushes and other painting equipment with me, so I thought I’d make do without them and use something different instead,”.

RED  decided to create her portraits with the tools that made the people she painted famous.  In a tribute to the Ai Wei Wei installation at the Tate Museum of London made with porcelain sunflower seeds, Red Hong used 100,000 sunflower seeds to create his portrait.

According to her youtube page, the Coffee Project was inspired by the opening line of Jay Chou’s song “Secret” where he sings of lifting up his coffee cup. So RED dipped a coffee cup in coffee over and over again to form ring stain’s on the canvas.

Vocabulary

Rarely – not very often.

Paint brushes – a brush used for putting paint on a surface.

Trends – something that is currently popular or fashionable.

Portrait – a painting, drawing, or photograph of a person that usually only includes the person’s head and shoulders.

Make do without – to not have (something) : to live, work, etc., without having (something).

Tribute – something that you say, give, or do to show respect or affection for someone.

Porcelain – a hard, white substance that is very delicate and that is made by baking clay.

Opening line – the first line of a song, poem or any piece of writing and music.

Dipped – to put (something) into a liquid and pull it out again quickly.

Ring – something that is shaped like a circle.

Stain – to leave a mark on something.

Jay Chou Portrait with Coffee Cup Stains

Isn’t that beautiful? If you want to check out more of Red Hong’s art, visit her webiste.

Do you create anything, what inspires you?