This month I want to do a less traditional focus, one that is on an artist who is not an artist, or so she claims. And for that reason, this introduction will be somewhat brief, and examples of her work very detailed and fruitful. I’ll explain why. I discovered Haiying Yang on YouTube, as I tend to do with many fine artists these days. But I did not discover her because of her art, although that is what caused me to become entranced by her. As a fellow YouTuber, I appreciate the anonymity that many of us strive for. I can assume things about Haiying that she may never say outright, and I will never truly ask because it is not my place. I have a responsibility to my readers to help you absorb as much as you can about the artist of the month, but this time it will be slightly different, and I will respect her choices, and it will be a learning experience anyway.
I think that Yang lives in California. Her glorious fruit garden and mild weather suggest so, as well as the stores and food chains she frequents. Yang is a vlogger. She has been discovered by the ASMR community (of which I am a fellow) because of her calm manner of speaking and her peaceful daily activities that include cooking, trips through her picturesque backyard, and her bountiful artistic videos. She is a wise woman, beautiful inside and out, and quite modest like any truly gifted artisan.
As I watched her from my computer screen, drinking tea along with her many nights and listening to her “bla bla bla” episodes where she discusses her personal philosophies, I learned that she teaches art classes, and I observed her lesson plans and became hypnotized by how quickly and deliberately she works. Instead of doing a written interview, I invited her to make a “bla bla bla” video including my questions, and she obliged. If you have the time to dedicate to this unconventional video interview, please do. Put an hour aside if you can and relax. I feel that it is absolutely worth it to hear her incredible answers.
To learn more about Yang, I have several links for you. The first is to her website, where she has links to her food blog, her class plan blog, and her tea blog. The second link is to her YouTube page, and all of the videos embedded here can be found there as well (there are over NINE THOUSAND videos to choose from, though many are not necessarily art-related). The third and final link is to her Etsy page, where she sells sundry authentic Chinese art supplies and trinkets that she has collected from her yearly trips to Hong Kong, as well as things she makes herself. She can also be found on Facebook, but I will leave that link unlisted for the time.
I am happy to present to you a wonderfully traditional Chinese artist. Yang’s work is both simple and complex in nature. Again, this is a very unconventional look at the complete process of several pieces of art from start to finish. I hope you enjoy this special Artisan Feature.
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Interview with Haiying Yang:
Please enjoy this video interview, complete with a cup of tea.
To skip ahead directly to the interview portion, you’ll need to go to 28 minutes in.