Yao Cheng
www.etsy.com/shop/yaochengdesign
100 // Yao Cheng was born in southern China, but grew up in Plano, Texas, USA. She now lives and works in Columbus, Ohio. Yao received a BFA in Textiles Design from the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence. Nature is a big influence on Yao’s work. Whether it is the romance of a bouquet of peonies, a dramatic landscape or the vibrant colour palettes of autumn leaves, she can always draw inspiration from Mother Nature. She is also fascinated by mathematical patterns and geometry, finding their repetition intriguing and the possibilities endless. Yao has sold designs to fashion retailers via the agency Collette and Blue, and has licensed her ‘Falling Dot’ print to cosmetics company Shiseido. Her ambition for the future is to create a line of products such as plates and bowls, cushions and wallpaper featuring her watercolour designs. She would love to collaborate with Marimekko and have her own gallery show.
Design Heroes: Luli Sanchez, Rachel Castle, Jenny Pennywood (see pages 124–5)
Dots Indigo
In this design reminiscent of classic Japanese patterns, the white areas were first painted with a liquid masking fluid. This then acts as a resist to the watercolour washes, much like resist dyeing with textiles.
Hexagon in Blue
These watercolour hexagons have subtle luminous tones, which are where the translucency occurs most in this delicate pattern. Designed exclusively for Colette and Blue, who retain ownership of the design.
Hexagon in Magenta
Hand painted without the use of rulers or grids. Yao prefers the imperfection of her hand versus a grid, feeling it is important to retain the human touch.
Kaleidoscope
This beautiful watercolour design is made up from diamonds, dots and pyramid shapes radiating out and echoing the natural geometry of flowers.
Field and Sky
To create the scale motifs representing rolling hills in this design, white outlines were painted with a liquid masking fluid before the watercolour washes were applied.