An “accidental” doll maker

The Star

Yeo Mei Ying, an artist who has been fascinated with dolls since she was seven, has become a successful doll maker not just in Malaysia but also abroad.  WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

Transcript

00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:03 Yeo Mei Ying's parents wanted her to pursue hotel management

00:09 in college and enter the tourism industry.

00:13 She dutifully went along with their wishes

00:15 for about two and a half years, but eventually

00:18 quit, realizing her passion lay elsewhere.

00:22 Instead, Yeo found joy in crafting dolls part-time.

00:26 Today, at 42, she has become a renowned doll maker,

00:31 both in Malaysia and internationally.

00:34 In her first online auction, Yeo sold one of her creations

00:38 for $200, which eventually fetched nearly $1,900,

00:44 or around RM9,000 after three days.

00:48 It's a one and only doll.

00:49 I made one only for people to bid.

00:52 So the price is bidding price.

00:54 Yeo, the elder of two siblings, said her parents, who

00:58 were both noodle manufacturers, were disappointed when she did

01:02 not finish her hotel management studies

01:04 and briefly worked as a secretary

01:07 and managed a comic book and stationery shop.

01:10 Yet her love for dolls, since she was seven years old,

01:14 persisted.

01:16 Her debut creation was a bunny hugging doll,

01:19 drawing inspiration from various sources,

01:22 like books and magazines.

01:24 Yeo became a full-time doll maker at 25

01:28 and has since crafted over 10,000 unique dolls,

01:31 including a notable red riding hood creation.

01:35 Besides selling her creations online,

01:37 Yeo has also showcased her work at international fairs

01:41 and doll exhibitions in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau,

01:45 Britain, and New York, USA.

01:48 Her parents, now proud of her accomplishments,

01:51 converted their school-dyed homes master bedroom

01:54 into her dedicated doll-making studio.

01:57 Yeo, meticulous about every detail,

02:00 works solo to ensure precision.

02:04 I try to bring in workers, but they cannot achieve the work

02:10 that I want.

02:11 I want very detailed, very fine work.

02:16 Yeo said her clientele comprises both men and women,

02:20 with the preference for dolls with somber expressions,

02:24 creating using fabric, clay, and plastic.

02:28 Her current focus is on producing

02:30 exclusive and high-end dolls.

02:33 As for other aspiring artists, Yeo's advice is simple--

02:37 follow your heart and never give up.

02:41 [MUSIC PLAYING]

02:45 [MUSIC ENDS]

02:47 [BLANK_AUDIO]

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended