Bubbles are a source of happiness for many of us, but Fan Yang – holder of 18 Guinness World Records – took it one step further and developed his hobby into a full-time career. Gwen Pew speaks to the legendary bubble artist and his son, Deni Yang, who has followed his father’s footsteps in the same trade.
17 May 2013:
How did you become a bubble artist?
Fan Yang: At the age of six, I was captivated by tiny bubbles floating on the surface of the river, which were created by a small waterfall. I Imagined how beautiful it would be if I could create a big bubble and go inside. When I was 18, I started to experiment with various liquid solutions to find the perfect mixture to create big bubbles. Slowly, with time, passion and dedication, I was able to blend a good mixture and create a large bubble. Further improving the mixture allowed me to create various elements. This is how bubble art first came to be… but I never thought that I will bring bubble art to stages around the world.
At what point did your hobby become a full-time profession?
FY: It became a full-time profession in 1991. That’s the same year I first attempted to make it into the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest spherical soap bubble. [He successfully created a record a year later, for the largest spherical soap bubble.]
Was it a conscious decision for you to follow in your father’s footsteps?
Deni Yang: It was a conscious decision for me to do bubble art as I hope to inspire other youngsters with it the same way my father’s passion inspired me. Now that I’m 23, I have no regrets in continuing my bubble mania. It never gets old and there will always be new tricks or innovative elements to add fantasy and magic to the show.
What are some of the tools that you use for bubble-making?
DY: All our tools – such as wands and tubes – are custom-made to adapt to the bubble elements that we plan to create.
Which type of bubble is the most difficult to make?
DY: The Diamond Bubble is very difficult to make as we have to create an arrangement of 12 bubbles to be able to form the diamond-shaped one in the middle.
How is the Bubble Legendary Show structured?
DY: The show is made with love and passion to inspire the next generation. It has a storyline and is a combination of bubble artistry, special effects, spectacular lighting multimedia and the ultimate laser technology, which incorporates the world’s first silver, gold and 3D lasers. These create astonishing visual effects all around the stage and audience area. It’s an interactive show for audiences of all ages. Our show aims to guide everyone into a marvellous world of bubbles that represents past, present and future.
Tell us more about the ‘Silver, Gold and 3D cosmic lasers’…
DY: The silver laser beam is made through a combination of colour diodes and wave lengths to enhance ordinary white laser beam into silver. The same principle is used for the gold laser. The 3D laser is a breakthrough in laser science technology, it allows the audience to see laser beams in the air bending in different shapes. The 3D laser device was created with the most advanced German technology and it took us five years to make it work. It’s the one and only device existing in the world today.
Do you have a favourite part in the show?
DY: There are many parts of the show that I truly enjoy to perform, creating very complex bubble tricks, such as Diamond Shape bubble, requires me to make with my father as it is very complicated. I also love having audience members on stage, as every show is different and everyone experiences bubbles in different way, I never know what their final reaction will be. It’s always a great pleasure to see how people enjoy playing with bubbles, no matter what their age. My favourite segment is the Twilight Saga where we incorporate fantastic soundtracks made by the famous Hollywood Company Audiomachine. We combine lighting, video projection, special effects and manipulation of laser light with our bare hands to create incredible visual effects. This segment is performed inside a giant Crystal Dome.
How often do you practice the craft?
DY: I perform six to eight shows every week so I don’t practice old bubble tricks as they have become routine. However, I do constantly spend time experimenting with new bubble elements five to six times a week for few hours, until I can perform them perfectly.
What are the most important attributes that one needs in order to become a bubble artist?
DY: Love and passion. You have to love what you are doing and being patient is key as things don’t always come out the way we want; these attributes will make the best bubble artist.
GWEN PEW 