The Mayday Beat Goes on As Band Nurtures Online Appeal
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CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Wednesday, June 10, 2020 | 17 YOUTH The true art of making bread Videos by a aking bread is a form of art. The ingredients baker, who turns when mixed together dough into produce something Mgreater than the sum of their parts. portraits and Baker Xu Hui goes one better; she makes art from bread. In her hands, other fun images, flour, salt, sugar and olive oil inspired by daily become a palate to mix and create images that stun and amaze. life, feed her During the COVID-19 pandemic, Xu, 39, a baker based in viewers’ need for Guangzhou, Guangdong province, escapism, started to turn leftover dough into art. Li Yingxue She produced bread versions of hand gestures, face masks and the reports. iconic melting pocket watch by Sal- vador Dali shown in The Persistence of Memory. Her inspiration comes from daily life — the clothes she wore, the vege- tables she bought, and even the flowers and grass on the roadside she saw while walking her dog. The South China Agriculture Uni- versity graduate changed careers in her mid-30s, from that of a salesper- son and a trainer to working in the food sector. She finally found her true calling, and having a degree in agriculture economics and manage- ment helped. “The pandemic gave us plenty of time as we abandoned much unnec- essary social contact, and once we had an idea, we had time to achieve it right away,” says Xu from Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. She also teaches bakery and takes During the period of social dis- orders for bread. tancing to curb the spread of the She recalls the time she went to COVID-19 pandemic, she started Beijing to learn from a French bak- her artistic bread creations, initially er who has over four decades’ with just the hand gestures, along- experience. She was shocked to see side her normal baker’s work. that the dough in his hands was so Bread comes alive when in the submissive and practically came oven. Unlike cookies that keep their alive. shape, bread will change, rise, then “He was friends with the dough, take shape. Consequently Xu needs but the dough in my hands was like to adjust the dough accordingly. a sticky, wet monster,” she “The process of making bread is recounts. like playing a game. The bakery is Now she has become a bread my amusement park,” Xu says. “A master herself, and indulges in drawing, a pinch of hair or a flower spending a great time with “her can all inspire me.” friend” all day long. One night, Xu had a moment of After putting the dough into the inspiration — you could say her oven, Xu likes to sit there and time had come. She decided to observe the process as the bread is make the melting watch from The celebrate their tying the knot. She keep for a long time, if properly proverb. “Rather a piece of bread transformed. Persistence of Memory. After several wanted to give them something spe- stored. with a happy heart than wealth “It’s like you can see it breathe, trials, in the midnight hour, she cial so she referred to their photos “Guangzhou is quite humid, so I with grief’’ is an Arab one. and you will never know how it will finally figured out a way to make and baked something resembling a have to leave the dehumidifier on However, it was a long journey finally look until it starts to color,” the bread look like it was flowing, photo of them, a real pleasant sur- all night or it will go moldy,” says and many years until Xu found her Xu says. by putting a rolling pin covered prise to the couple. Xu. lasting passion for it. Before that “It’s like an adventure.” with baking paper under the Xu says she believes that inno- “During the pandemic, because I she had been a salesperson and a Her videos of making dough dough. cence, passion, sharpness and a couldn’t go out to buy fresh flowers, trainer who had such a crushing became popular on social media From top: Baker Xu Hui holds During the pandemic, she creat- sense of humor are all important for I made bread in decorative shapes work schedule that she quit and platforms and some viewers found a female face made of bread. ed 70 female portraits, which she a creator. and put them in vases.” became a freelancer in 2012. watching her play with the dough The various stages in the named as Her Portraits Made of Xu has been trying to use bread To Xu, the process of making A self-disciplined person, Xu relaxing. creation of Xu’s doughy art. Bread. to cross over into other kinds of art. bread is like “breeding life”. made full use of the time while Her “vegan bread” course was Clockwise from top right: She decorated the bread faces For that, she is collaborating with “If you knead the dough well being a freelancer to explore many popular among vegetarians at first, Xu’s colorful array of bread with almost everything she could illustrators and designers to experi- enough, you may even feel its of her interests, learning bakery, then more baking fans joined. creations. A homage to find, from hats, earrings, to com- ment with new bread-based art- response to you, as if answering painting and photography. Most of her students are white Salvador Dali’s iconic mon everyday ingredients, such as works. your move by revealing various pat- Xu started her new career as a collar workers, new moms, as well artwork. A loaf featuring a tomatoes, pineapples, leaves and She plans to make bread hats with terns,” she says. baker in 2016. She and her partner as cafe owners or pastry chefs who leaf-like design. even dry instant noodles. her milliner friend, and has made a opened a studio in Guangzhou want to make bread and create their PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY With Xu’s adept hands, bread can dog collar in shape of a braided Finding herself called Bigfish & Vee (their nick- own memories. also create a homage to life’s special hoop for pets in conjunction with a Bread plays a central role in all names). She focuses on breadmak- moments. A newly-married couple designer. societies. “Avoid those who don’t ing and her partner focuses on Contact the writer at ordered dinner from her studio to The breads are all edible and can like bread and children” is a Swiss cooking foreign cuisine. [email protected] The Mayday beat goes on as band nurtures online appeal By CHEN NAN pal Stadium. The one-hour-long As well as performing onstage, since 2015 and watched the online [email protected] concert attracted over 35 million the band also played while standing concert along with her friends at viewers online, being part of a live- in, and walking along, the empty home. They held light sticks and For their fans it was a date with show project named “TME live” by rows of seats. sang with the band in front of the destiny, a chance to tune in to the Tencent Music Entertainment “For the first time, we could see screen. beat. The band’s name? Mayday. Group. The number of viewers the show from your viewpoint,” the “I almost cried when the first And therein lies the irony. This May, exceeded the Bird’s Nest’s capacity lead vocalist said to the fans. song started. They are like my old there was no Mayday. by a factor of 350. They chose the stadium because friends and their songs have given Every summer since 2012, the The band performed 13 of their it was where Mayday held its first me strength and hope,” Xin says. Taiwan rock band has been holding hits, including Noah’s Ark and Par- major concert, which attracted over “2020 is so challenging for all of concerts at the iconic National Sta- ty Animal. When Ashin performed, 10,000 fans, in 1999. It is also where us and they sang for us, like they dium, the Bird’s Nest, in Beijing, Suddenly I Miss You, he was joined they filmed their hit, This Is Love, always do every year.” which has a capacity of about by other pop singers Jam Hsiao, Li from their debut album, and held Another fan posted on Sina Wei- 100,000 seats. Ronghao and Mao Buyi, who their first concert after returning bo: “It felt like watching Mayday’s Their shows usually sold out appeared on the screen and sang from a two-year-long hiatus in concert from the first row. Though quickly within minutes after tick- with him from different parts of 2003. it’s not a live show, I can still feel the ets became available. China. They ended the online concert excitement and passion for the Then came the coronavirus pan- There were no fans but the seats with their song, Stubborn. music.” demic. But Mayday was determined were lit up with light sticks, a fea- Mayday started as a school band Mayday’s online concert was one to deliver a live performance to their ture of their concerts. in 1997 and has released nine studio of the project’s many events, which fans. “In our previous annual concerts albums so far. They have received All five members of the Taiwan rock band Mayday in the studio cover both online and live shows. “Who says you won’t have the we often heard the screaming of tens four Best Band accolades from the during rehearsals for their annual May concert, which this year was Since the first online concert, which date with Mayday in 2020?” posted of thousands of fans in the stadium, Golden Melody Awards.