“Hey Pretties” is a clay animation inspired by an experience of getting yelled “compliments” and asian-fetishizing comments in the U.S. It offers insight into the collective feminine experience, depicting the disturbing realities of catcalling and street harassment.

Yoyo Yu finds solace in stop-motion animation as a means to process and digest her emotions and thoughts. Her creative process involves using mixed media including clay, fabrics, and painting to build unique worlds within her animations. By shaping and sculpting her puppets, she infuses her memories into the clay. As she manipulates her puppets, along with the lighting and ambience frame by frame, she not only aims to replicate reality but also offer a fresh perspective on her intimate and honest narrative. Yoyo’s art strives to create a space where vulnerability is celebrated, and where the complexities of the human experience are embraced and understood.

Yoyo Yu (b. 2000) received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from The Chinese University of Hong Kong.