Hong Yi back in spotlight with Suu Kyi portrait
Local artist Hong Yi, or RED is in town on holiday and back in the spotlight after another amazing showcase of her talent when she 'painted' a portrait of the Burmese political activist, Aung San Suu Kyi, using only carnations and some clever use of food dye. Hong Yi, an architect is known for her creative arts after she shot to fame when her paintings of Jay Chou and Yao Ming went viral around the world.
Hong Yi in the spotlight again with a new portrait
She told reporters that she decided to create a portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi because she was moved and touched by the latter’s "love and kindness" to her people.
"The reason I used flowers is because Suu Kyi always has flowers in her hair. It's because her late father, who died when Suu Kyi was only two years old, used to tie carnation flowers in her hair".
dailyexpress.com.myThe three-day project that took place at the lobby of Sutera Harbour Marina and Country Club attracted many curious onlookers who marvelled at the slow emergence of Suu Kyi's portrait over 48 hours.
dailyexpress.com.myUsing 2,000 carnations, which she patiently dyed with the right colour of pink and red, carefully arranged the flowers to the image of Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi.
It was all trial and error but after four tries, Sabah-born Hong Yi was finally ready for her latest artwork masterpiece.
Hong Yi's Awards
She also received Special Mention for the AA Prize for Unbuilt Works 2010, and featured in the Jan/Feb 2011 issue of Architecture Australia Magazine.
![](https://www.the-eg.com/sites/default/files/favicon.png)
An Australian national finalist in the SONA Superstudio competition in 2009 and 2010, she was given Jury Special Mention and awarded the Elenberg Fraser Prize for Best Presentation in both years.
![](https://www.the-eg.com/sites/default/files/favicon.png)
Who is Hong Yi
Her paintings were hits, and she was featured in media around the world.
redhongyi.comShe is a Master of Architecture graduate from the University of Melbourne, and was awarded to study in the Netherlands, which broadened her perspective in European arts and architecture.
redhongyi.comHong Yi, who goes by the nickname 'Red', is a Malaysian artist-architect. She was given the nickname because her surname, Hong, sounds like the word 'red' in Mandarin.
redhongyi.com