Yip thinks students’ participation in the movement may change the general public’s view of the new generation. She says many people may think today’s young people only know how to surf the net and rarely communicate with the world. There is an established attitude towards the youth of today but she hopes that after this movement, the young people will grow and take responsibility for society.
Apart from appreciating the students’ hard work in striving for their goal, Yip also appreciates the movement as an art piece. “Art is the reflection of life,” she says. “Like the Lennon Wall, there are many heartfelt words written by students and citizens. This whole art piece is not made deliberately, but expressed naturally.”
She is constantly drawn to Admiralty to see the art there. She wants to see if there are new masterpieces and seizes the opportunity to take photos of them. “Public art will disappear once the event ends. These artworks are historical records,” she adds.
Yip‘s enthusiasm for art is not limited to the simple appreciation of others’ work. She also went back to school to study for a Master of Fine Arts and graduated in 2013. Yip relaxes visibly when talking about going back to school. She says it was a really happy experience. Having worked from such a young age, and lived a complicated life, she feels she missed some of the most simple elements of growing up, and now it is time for her to experience that.
Yip chose ceramics as her major – a discipline that requires a lot of time and patience. She says the medium is exacting and unforgiving. “The mud that is used to make ceramics has a really strong memory. So if you make some little mistakes, the ceramics will break during high-temperature heating in a kiln, and you wouldn’t notice it beforehand.”
This means control is very important when dealing with ceramics. A small change in temperature or humidity can lead to big changes in the work, so every step must be monitored carefully. But sometimes, there are things that you just cannot control.
“I admit that I’m a perfectionist.” Yip says, “I want to do everything well and I believe I can. However, for some unexpected defects, you just have to learn how to let go. Sometimes, being imperfect is also a kind of art.”
“My motto in life is persistence. Life is a learning process, every step you take is a part of learning, so don’t be afraid of failure.”
She has soared to dizzying heights and fallen hard. She has learned to build walls against gossip and innuendo. Gloria Yip has survived and found her own way of living. She is optimistic about everything, and not afraid of how people look at her. “In the end, life will find it’s own way,” she says.
Edited by Hilda Lee
