•Publication Date：07/25/2014
•Source： Taiwan Today
Chen Yi-wei, a young balloon artist from Yilan in northeastern Taiwan, is showcasing his world-class artwork at an exhibition June 27 to Sept. 14 in Taichung.
The event features “Angel Blessing,” Chen’s winning piece at the Twist and Shout 2008 convention in Boston, and amazing works of all shapes and sizes.
“I learned to shape balloons at a performance club in college,” Chen said. “I still remember how surprised and happy a 5-year-old girl was when I twisted a balloon poodle for her. That is how I fell in love with this craft and chose to pursue a career in it after graduating in 2003.
“But my family was not happy to see me blowing and twisting balloons. They were worried I could not make a living out of it. I also faced ridicule from passersby when my friend and I first set up a stand selling balloons.”
Chen said the more obstacles he faced, the more determined he became to succeed. In addition to constantly polishing up his skills by consulting books, former clubmates and the Internet, he attended international competitions to test himself and learn new developments.
At the 11th Japan Balloon Artist Network competition in 2007, Chen’s first contest abroad, his piece “Flamenco Girl” earned top honors in the individual design category. From 2008 to 2010, he placed consistently in overseas competitions.
In 2012, Chen broke the Guinness World Record for the largest 3-D balloon sculpture by creating a gigantic robot out of 65,000 inflated balloons at a Singapore event.
The artist is taking a breather from foreign competition, but is not worried his bubble of success will pop any time soon. Chen is still up for challenges, such as creating balloon art in the desert with his 45-member company.
Chen is also busy promoting the art in mainland China with his company that decorates event venues with balloons.
“Compared with Western countries, people from Taiwan and mainland China know much less about balloon art. I want to show them how fascinating it is,” he said.
