Speaker Red Hong Yi blog featured picture

Red Hong Yi – Malaysian artist and Creative Speaker

7 Questions with the artist Red Hong Yi.

In November 2016, London Speaker Bureau hosted our annual 2 day seminar in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Bringing together teams from over 33 locations worldwide.

Speakers to attend the event were: Fredrik Haren, a Global Culture Specialist ; Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi, Former Secretary-General of UNCTAD and Former DPM of Thailand ; Ayesha Khanna, Smart Cities and Education Strategy Expert ; Idris Jala, CEO of PEMANDU, Red Hong Yi, Malaysian Artist-Architect and Rob Lilwall, the Nat Geo Adventurer.

After her speech, we asked Red some questions to learn more about her and her incredible story.

What is your favourite quote? 

Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working‘ – Pablo Picasso

What was the crux of the speech you delivered?

I talk about my experience as a full-time artist in the past 5 years and how I have learned that fear is an integral part of creativity. I have learned that each time I innovate and put new work out, fear is perhaps an indicator that I have tried something new. I talk about creativity, innovation, passion, grit and fear.

What you are currently working on?

Taking a break from commissioned projects this year to work on personal projects about the refugee crisis, humanity and the environment.

What is your favourite subject to speak on and why?

Creativity and fear because I think they go hand in hand. I also talk about overcoming rejection – something I am still learning to be comfortable with that I know is inevitable when innovating.

How do you see the world in 10 years’ time? Challenges companies face? How you can help?

Incredibly interconnected with more digital wizards than ever.

What are your thoughts on 2016?

Personally it was a tough year for me, involving illnesses and accidents, and it took me a while to recover enough to push more innovative work. I think it was tough for many all over too, and I am reminded that there are peaks and valleys in life.

What are your hopes for 2017?

Stronger relationships with family and friends, and I want to push my art to the next level by creating purposeful work that will bring meaning to others too.

Your thoughts on Speak Festival and London Speaker Bureau…

I loved seeing the people behind LSB from all over the world, and what impressed me even more was how people at LSB care about the world and the future it holds.

More about Red Hong Yi

‘Red’ Hong Yi is a Malaysian artist-architect who is known as “the artist who likes to paint, but not with paint brushes.” She was given the nickname ‘Red’ because her family name, Hong, sounds like the word ‘red’ in Mandarin.

One day in January 2012, Red dribbled a basketball in red paint into a giant portrait of basketballer Yao Ming, and the process was captured in video by a friend and uploaded onto the internet. The video became viral around the world. This was followed by several other videos of the process of the creation of her paintings: Adele done with melting tea lights, Zhang Yimou done with socks on bamboo sticks, Jay Chou done with coffee cup stains, Mark Zuckerberg done with paperbacks, all of which have been viewed by millions on both YouTube and Youku.

Red was awarded one of the “12 Brilliant Malaysians 2013” by Esquire Magazine Malaysia, “40 Under 40 Designers” by Perspective Global Hong Kong and presented with the “Young Entrepreneur Award” by the Malaysian Australian Alumni Council.
She aims to travel to different countries learn about their local art and culture, and reflect that in her art.
Through her art and the internet, Red hopes to connect people throughout the world.

To read Red Hong Yi’s speaker profile, click here. To have a look through Red’s Twitter, click on the following link: Twitter

To book Red Hong Yi for your next event, click on the ‘contact us’ page or email us at enquiries@londonspeakerbureau.com