Early Life
My Very First Drawing
If memory serves me right, this is my very first drawing. I simply duplicated it from the cover of a wedding cake box that looked interesting to me when I was 12. Sadly, I've never done any childlike drawings like innocent kids normally do...
The moment my 7th grade art teacher saw this drawing, he made a comment that I have never forgotten: "This kid is a genius! She is gonna be extraordinary in the future!" His few words made a huge impact on my life. I wanted to believe that he was right...so I tried my best to live up it.
Ink Paintings
I believe that we all have God-sent angels throughout our life...
For me, it was my 6th-grade teacher who sacrificed his weekends guiding us to solve the most challenging 1200 math problems and also demonstrated Chinese calligraphy.
That was how I spent all my weekends in the 6th grade. In addition to writing in a diary every single day, which was his extra homework.
Looking back on these childhood activities made me realize that what a huge blessing it was that I never refused or even questioned those extra trainings...but embraced them.
The weekly calligraphy practice naturally lead me to learn Chinese ink painting through high school and college. It even brought me a job that I truly enjoyed, when I was stuck later with a profession that I was trained for but didn't enjoy...
Somehow, I was always eager to make the best out of any learning opportunities, maybe because I felt they may not come again?
My First Art Playground
I don’t remember how I got the idea that life is full of limitless potential.
This limitless mindset has nurtured me to overcome many obstacles and achieve unusual milestones in various professional fields in the U.S. without higher education, after I received a bachelor’s degree for urban planning in Taiwan.
Shortly after working at a land development consulting firm for 3 months, I discovered my true passion for commercial product development and design.
Although I didn’t have formal art and design training, my portfolio and long cover letter successfully helped me to switch my career from urban planning to the industrial design field, after I started working at a handmade pottery factory.
I boldly put this first sentence on the cover letter: "Do not ignore the true talent who doesn't have a degree!"
When you truly believe in yourself, miracles can happen.
My First Sculpture
Breeze
Although the pottery manufacturing environment was rough, my artistic nature flourished by working with different artists (painters, sculptors, calligraphers, pottery masters) every day. I got to learn sculpting, oil painting and improve my Chinese ink painting and calligraphy skills.
Surprisingly, my first sculpture piece was only one vote shy from entering the most famous Taiwan Province Art Show in 1990. It might just be beginner’s luck, but the creating process of sculpture had become my new favorite art form.
My Calligraphy
Poem on Vase
In addition to developing new product lines, managing production and marketing copywriting, I also wrote Chinese calligraphy on raw vases before they were fired.
Invention
3D Effect
One day, while playing with the sculpting wheel during the lunch break, the big bucket of mud waste that came from forming the pottery sparkled an idea in me...
"What about painting this mud on the smooth vase surface to create three-dimensional subjects such as rocks, mountains, trees...?"
This was a new technique that had not been used before, but this simple idea opened up a whole new market. This particular 3D style have been one of the most premium collective pieces in Taiwan ever since I invented in 1988.