Malaysian Artists Red Hong Yi and Danielle Soong Selected for Disney Global 100 Campaign

On 31 July, Disney launched Create 100, a global celebration of creativity marking 100 years of Disney storytelling. Malaysian visual artist Red Hong Yi will represent Malaysia’s creative community as part of Create 100 and will produce a special item in honour of Disney’s 100th anniversary.

Additionally, she has enlisted next-generation bead artist Danielle Soong to join the celebration, who will also produce a piece to mark the occasion. The artwork for the campaign will only be revealed sometime in August.

Some of the world’s most renowned visionaries and next-generation talent across fashion, music, art and more donated artworks, items and experiences inspired by their personal connection to stories and characters across Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and 20th Century, to benefit the Make-A-Wish foundation, which creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Additional incredible artworks, items, and experiences, together with the stories behind them, will be revealed over the summer.

The Create 100 contributions feature everything from musical elements to comic books to recreations of iconic movie props and more. Red Hong Yi and Danielle Song will be joining the likes of renowned talent such as global icon Beyoncé, famed French fashion designer Christian Louboutin, Italian Global Creative Director for Swarovski Giovanna Engelbert, and American fashion pioneer Tommy Hilfiger. Global partners such as adidas, Pandora, and Coach will also be contributing one-of-a-kind pieces to the celebration.

To kick off the campaign, Disney worked with Virgil Abloh Securities to reveal a 6-foot structural sculpture of Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey from Disney’s Fantasia at the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London. The corporation was established by the wife of the late fashion designer, who founded Off-White and was the artistic director of Louis Vuitton.

Red Hong Yi is one of Malaysia’s most celebrated contemporary artists and is known as “the artist who paints without a brush”. The Sabah-born artist creates paintings and installations, often in large scales by using everyday materials such as eggshells, red Chinese calligraphy paper and fire. Red’s work has been exhibited at H Queens in Hong Kong and the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.

Her art has been featured in publications including the front cover of TIME, Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times. Earlier this year, she released her first book ‘How To Paint Without A Brush: The Art Of Red Hong Yi’ which looks back on the first decade of her career. She has also been commissioned by Jackie Chan to create a portrait of himself using 64,000 chopsticks for his 60th birthday.

“I have always been touched by the magic of Disney movies and characters since I was a kid watching them with my grandfather,” said Red Hong Yi. “I wished that someday I would be an artist for Disney, and now it’s all come full circle. Through Create 100 and my love for art, I’m using unconventional materials and storytelling to create artwork inspired by Disney. Everyone can create something new, so I hope all aspiring creators will continue to experiment and be courageous in putting their art out and telling their stories to the world.”

Meanwhile, Danielle Soong is a bead artist who also hails from Sabah and she creates flower-themed jewellery for her brand ‘Tzu’. Her journey into beadwork began during the pandemic lockdown in the year 2020. Amidst the uncertainty and isolation, Danielle discovered her passion for creating intricate bead art that would eventually blossom into a tribute to her beloved mother.

Watch the introduction video of the campaign here:

Follow Danielle and Red Hong Yi on Instagram.

Image credit: Disney, @tzu.stuff, @redhongyi