KOTA KINABALU, Aug 17 — Keningau-born artist Olive Yong once believed her future had already been mapped out, but a digital drawing of a chubby cat eventually led her towards an entirely different career.
Olive, the creator of Bichi Mao, grew up dreaming of becoming an artist but initially considered art an impractical career choice, according to a profile by Catalist Malaysia.
Having learnt piano from her mother, she pursued music education at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris with plans to become a piano teacher.
“I thought this path was already set,” she recalled in a two-part account of her creative journey shared on Bichi Mao’s Instagram.
Her direction began to change after she met Yap Wee Lim at university and was introduced to digital drawing using an iPad and the Procreate application.
Olive subsequently created a chubby digital cat and began sharing it online under the name Bichi Mao, attracting about 60,000 followers within six months.
Although the character was gaining an online audience, turning it into a sustainable creative venture presented a different challenge.
A KTMB train carriage with Olive Yong’s Bichi Mao cat characters decorating the side is seen at the depot in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur. — Picture courtesy of Bichi Mao Team via Daily Express
A breakthrough came when Wee Lim and fellow creator PrawnM33 introduced her to her first event, Comic Fiesta Malaysia, in December 2019.
It was there that “Bichi Mao became merchandise for the first time”, Olive said in the Instagram account.
Her first Comic Fiesta appearance earned about RM1,000, but by 2022, she was participating in around 20 events annually, according to Catalist Malaysia.
Olive later expanded Bichi Mao through books, merchandise, commissioned work and appearances at events.
As the venture grew, its commercial and operational demands reportedly left her with less time to concentrate on drawing and storytelling.
Wee subsequently took charge of business operations through Niko Studio, allowing Olive to refocus on the creative development of Bichi Mao.
Bichi Mao now reportedly has more than 2.5 million followers, while its GIFs have accumulated more than one billion views.
The brand has also produced 10 books translated into more than 20 languages and held exhibitions in the United States, Germany, China, Singapore and Thailand.
What began as a simple digital sketch has since grown into an internationally recognised creative brand, challenging the belief Olive encountered as a young Sabahan that there was “no future” in art. — Daily Express