In one corner of the cosy Kampung Attap space, two of her team members are ironing a vast canvas sheet for an upcoming exhibition. Outside, another pair are experimenting with fire and red calligraphy paper. At one point, literal sparks shoot into the air.

The artist herself is all smiles as she gives a tour of the place, which is littered with iconic pieces from her previous exhibitions.

There are the bamboo-hanging artworks from her recent Balai Seni Negara show “Once Upon A Longtang”, as well as the ATM from last year’s Memebank. It feels like an artistic Easter egg hunt.

Red has certainly created many distinctive showpieces over the course of her career, capturing the imagination of art lovers worldwide.

Recently however, she completed a very different kind of creative work: her first book, “How To Paint Without A Brush – The Art of Red Hong Yi”.

Published by Abrams Books, Red’s debut is part how-to guide, part career retrospective, with the artist elaborating on her creative techniques and career milestones from the first 10 years of her career between 2012 and 2021.

“It feels amazing. It feels so surreal, I’m so grateful for this. It’s like I have a portfolio in my hands that I can easily pass to someone. I hope it can really inspire other people, whether they’re aspiring artists or hobbyists,” Red told FMT.

She said she’d previously thought about creating a book and had received offers from other publishers in the past. However, none of their proposals truly suited what she wanted to express.

It was only when she was contacted by New York-based publisher Abrams Books that she felt confident about proceeding.

“I felt like they really understood my career. They also asked if I wanted to give an Asian perspective of my art and view of the world. And I really liked that, so I said yes!”

Born in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Red is known for creating artwork from everyday objects – or, in her words, “painting without a paintbrush”.

For example, she was commissioned by actor Jackie Chan to create a portrait of himself with 64,000 chopsticks for his 60th birthday.

Red’s art has also been featured in publications such as the “Wall Street Journal”, “TIME” magazine, and the “New York Times”.

Red’s book begins with a preface about her early life, detailing everything from her first exposure to art to the opening of her studio.

From there, the narrative is divided into sections based on years, with chapters focused on a material she has used in a prominent work. For instance, “Matchsticks” is devoted to the creation of “Climate is Everything”, which Red created for the cover of  “TIME” using 50,000 matchsticks.

“I’m really proud of all my projects,” she said. “But one thing I wish is that I took more photos at the start of my career! Some of my projects I couldn’t include because I don’t have any photos of them.

“In my writing, I tried to be more open and vulnerable, talking about my ups and downs and the challenges I faced. What we have here is certainly more indepth than what you’ll read in my Instagram and social media posts. I took my time to really think about each project and what they meant to me.”

Indeed, each chapter contains Red’s reflections, as well as handy info boxes detailing the amount of work she put into her creations. Did you know, for example, that an artwork of a kopitiam owner for Resorts World Las Vegas involved her using 18,500 tea bags in seven different tones?

The back of the book contains detailed instructions on how readers can create their own masterpieces using materials such as soot, flower petals, beans, eggshells and more. If you’ve ever dreamed of following in Red’s footsteps, this is the perfect place to start.

“I deliberately give examples using simple items you can easily find at home. So I hope my readers are tempted to experiment, and see the potential for art in everything around them, not just limited to what they can create with a paintbrush.”

Red is currently busy with several upcoming projects: one of them being a group exhibition scheduled to take place next month, centred around climate and the haze.

“I hope that in another decade, I’ll have another book that celebrates the next 10 years of my art,” she added.

“I also hope readers of this book will believe anything is possible, and that it inspires us to have faith in artists. We all start from somewhere, no one is a professional overnight.

“So, when we see someone with an interest in art, encourage them instead of tearing them down. There’s a lot of talent in Malaysia, and we need a community that supports them.”

‘How To Paint Without A Brush – The Art of Red Hong Yi’ will be available in major bookstores from tomorrow.