Crafting dolls is no child’s play

JOHOR BARU: Yeo Mei Ying’s parents wanted her to study hotel management in college and get a job in the tourism industry.

She dutifully went along with their wishes and persevered in her studies for about two and a half years, but eventually quit as her heart was not in it.

Instead, Yeo got into making dolls part-time.

Today, the 42-year-old artist has become a successful doll maker not just in Malaysia but also abroad. One of her creations was sold for RM9,000.

It was a special doll sold via online bidding, she said.

“I started the bid at US$200 (RM958). Within three days, it reached US$1,877,” she said in an interview.

Yeo, the elder of two children, said her parents, who were both noodle manufacturers, were upset when she did not finish her hotel management studies.

“I worked as a secretary and also had my own shop renting comic books and selling stationery.”

But there was no end to her fascination with dolls.

“I have always been interested since I got my first one when I was seven years old,” she said.

Yeo said that the first one she made was a bunny-hugging doll.

Her inspiration, she said, came from books and magazines.

“I got my first break when someone ordered a lot of miniature frames while I was working at the bookshop.

“At that time, each frame was about RM20 each. It was handmade, so each day I could do only about three,” she said.

She became a full-time doll maker when she was 25.

Over the years, Yeo estimated that she has made about 10,000 different types of dolls.

“One of my successful pieces was a Red Riding Hood doll,” she said.

Besides selling her creations online, Yeo has also travelled for fairs and doll exhibitions abroad in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Britain and New York.

Her parents have given their approval after seeing her success. They even converted the master bedroom in their home in Skudai for her to set up a doll-making workshop.

Yeo, who is particular about each design, said she makes them on her own and does not hire workers as she is concerned about attention to detail.

As for buyers’ preferences, Yeo said that her dolls are purchased by both men and women.

“And people seem to prefer dolls that look grumpy or sad,” she quipped.

Her dolls are made from materials such as fabric, clay and plastic.

Her aim now, she said, was to produce unique and premium dolls.

As for other aspiring artists, her message is simple: Follow your heart and never give up.