We caught up with Doudou Huang, the winner of our latest live brief where students were shown the process of creating a beautiful blanket with the renowned knitwear designer Donna Wilson.
Read on to learn about Doudou’s inspiration and working process throughout the project.
Congrats on your beautiful blanket, Bread World! We know you spent a lot of time researching different bread types and their baking methods. What kinds of bread did you try in the interest of research?
At the very beginning I was inspired by my own everyday favourite baked goods such as meat loaf, croissants and cinnamon rolls. I love how they represent the different cultural backgrounds and culinary habits of the two countries I reside between (China and the United Kingdom), and how these different practices influence their different flavours.
I set out to discover what breads were born out of the cultural background of each different country. I researched baguettes, bagels, brioche, focaccia, doughnuts, lye bread and omelettes, as well as the tools and utensils used to make them. Drawing on the sketches and illustrations I created throughout my studies, I experimented with geometrical shapes to express form and shapes, colours to express flavours, and explored how to evoke the textures and the emotions I felt whilst eating these loaves.
You are currently studying Illustration and Visual Media, so I assume knitwear isn’t something you normally come across on the course. Was this your first experience working with textiles, or do you practice any personal hobbies such as knitting or crocheting?
Yes, this was my first experience with textiles. I started learning how to knit at the beginning of the project by knitting a scarf. Although I learned the basics of how to knit, this helped me gain an understanding of how knitwear is made, its structure, and how the colours are laid out. These new skills all helped me work effectively regarding the Donna Wilson Blanket Project!
We love the two chosen colour palettes. What inspired your tones of red and blue?
Red was the first colour I decided on because it reflects my passion for bread, especially eating it! I feel that red also conveys the excitement I felt whilst researching and exploring the deeper cultural significance behind each bread.
I chose the colour blue because it evokes how I can relax when I eat my favourite bread, and how the process of chewing it gives me inner peace.
Donna Wilson is known for her vibrant and spirited designs. What do you make of her work and style?
During this project, I referenced Donna Wilson’s website and my visit to her studio. I really like her style because it is a childlike and colourful world that allows me to have fun and relax in a fast-paced life. I like the way she uses simple lines and shapes to express animals, objects and people, and creates a visual language that is unique to her. Her use of rich combinations of colours makes me think that she is a person who loves life and observes the world very carefully. Studying all these details helped me think about how I could create and develop my own visual language.
The blankets are so soft and luxurious, the perfect blanket for cuddling up during the upcoming autumn and winter seasons. What’s your perfect cosy set up?
When I got my blanket I was amazed by the texture of it; it’s so warm and cosy, perfect to wrap up in during the winter months. I often stay at home in my sleepwear wrapped up in my blanket, it makes me feel snug and restful!
What did you find most surprising from the whole experience?
What surprised me most during this project was learning about monoprints. I chose to learn different printing techniques to help me expand my thinking and experiment with the possibilities of expression. The inimitability of monoprint gave me more room for creativity, as I thought about how to combine my drawings and images of bread. I cut out my designs, combined them randomly and stacked them on top of each other to create a strong correlation and interaction between the images. Combined with the special printing characteristics of monoprint, each piece of artwork is unique, and it was during this playful process that I created my final design.
And finally, what advice would you give future students who are thinking about taking part in a live brief?
I encourage exploring and researching the subject matter as deeply as possible and in turn, thinking and analysing your findings to the best of your ability. Daring to try different techniques (3D printing, image-making printing processes), constantly experimenting, and learning new skills can all help us to go further and create our own visual language.
Thank you, Doudou for taking the time to chat with us!
