Being an artist means having the freedom to choose one's medium and choose one's art field. Whether it be clothing, design, music, or painting, artists find a way to express themselves in the most creative ways possible. The same can be said for Singaporean doll collector Jian Yang, who, back in 2013, earned a reputation for collecting the most Barbie dolls. Reuters reported back then that he had 6,000.

In a December 2017 report from Hype & Stuff, that number has grown to over 10,000. According to the report, he accidentally received his first Barbie doll in 1984, when on Christmas Day, he rushed to the tree first and opened his sister's present, which was a Barbie.

While it may seem peculiar to see a man collect a toy directed at a female demographic, Yang said it was no big deal to him. He told Reuters in 2013, "Before I knew anything about social norms, I was a boy that watched this on TV, liked it and wasn’t allowed to have one. As I grew older, got my own allowance, that’s where I started getting the freedom to buy whatever I wanted."

Gone viral

More recently, Jian Yang has gained a following on Instagram, where he not only shares snippets of his life, but also of his Barbie dolls. One of his latest projects is rather peculiar and awe-worthy and has been picked up by BoredPanda.com. He calls it the "#hastissuewilltravel" doll collection, in which he dresses his Barbie dolls with couture made out of tissue from hotels and restaurants that he stays at or dines in during his travels.

He was surprised that it had gone viral, writing in an Instagram post, "Guys this is really happening! The #havetissuewilltravel dolls are going viral!...This is so cool!!!"

It's unsurprising that the work of a man with such talent has gone viral, especially after seeing his work. He has created dresses for his Barbies using tissue from the Chilli Padi Foodhouse in Singapore, Park Hyatt in Bangkok, ANA Airlines, Wolfgang Puck, AW Kitchen by Akira Watanabe, Garuda Indonesia, and so much more.

Barbie couture

Jian Yang's #havetissuewilltravel Barbie couture creations are no easy feat, as they really look like actual dresses that can be scaled up for humans to wear. One of the more impressive things about his creations it the fact that he finds inspiration from cultures all over the world, showcasing Barbie clothing made out of tissue with elements from the Japanese culture and other Asian cultures. These Barbie wedding dresses, as they are called, are truly gorgeous and one of a kind.
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