Edir factory attracts some foreign students.

Does this title represent regression or progression? If you ask Edie (a.k.a. 宋晗 Sòng Hán) without question its progress, and in a big way. Born in Tianjin and raised by two parents with military background, Edie was given a gift. One, she was aware of art from a young age. Two, unlike some conservative Chinese parents, her mom and dad fully supported her pursuit of the arts. These two elements were like a seed sown in fine soil being given water to grow.

As early as four or five years old, Edie remembers her father taking time to paint. He was a self-taught artist. In fact, like Edie, it was his father, that is Edie's grandfather that had a love for painting and influenced him. Edie's adolescent art hobby took a rather formal turn when at sixteen years old enrolled into a high school operated by the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts (天津美术学院 tiānjīn měishù xuéyuàn a.k.a. 天美 tiānměi). Following three years of high school education, she studied another four years at the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts majoring in oil painting.

After graduation her passion for painting was put on pause as she accepted an invitation to join the team at "Holiday 100" (假日100天 jiàrì 100 tiān) a newspaper published by the Tianjin Daily Newspaper Group (天津日报集团 tiānjīn rìbào jítuán). Rather appropriately, she was assigned to the paper's Art Editorial Team. Within a week, without even being settled into the role of Art Editor, Edie was recruited by the Head of the Fashion Department. In an instant she had became a member of the Fashion Editorial Team. This position put her in contact with a wide variety of people and products. Every Tuesday was the busiest day of the week. The editorial department become like a "war zone." The girls working there would be dressed to the nines and running around in high heels as they tried to complete their tasks and meet deadlines. The Department Head along with the Chief Editor would personally inspect the drafts and scrutinize every title. Her job involved wearing many hats, from reporter, writer, editor, typesetter to even sales rep. Edie also traveled a lot. From a home base in Tianjin, as needed she would travel to major cities like Beijing and Shanghai to cover and participate in large fashion related events.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of her full-time job as a fashion newspaper "wonder woman," Edie never forgot her roots. She started as a little girl with a love for the arts. Therefore, in 2012 with what little free time she had, choose to study another year at the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts. This time Edie decided to learn about "Traditional Chinese Painting" (中国画 zhōngguó huà), thereby gaining much insight on ink wash painting (水墨画 shuǐmòhuà). Little did she know at the time, how much that decision would effect the rest of her life.

While on the road in 2013 for the newspaper, she couldn't help but think what started as something "new and exciting" (working for a massive media company fresh out of college) had turned into a rather regular routine. These thoughts were like tinder waiting to ignite. The match that started the blaze was about to be met. During that trip she interviewed a successful photographer. What she didn’t expect was how his story would inspire her. While interviewing him, it was learned that he like Edie, had experience working for a massive media firm. The story then took an unexpected turn. At a point when it seemed like he had it all, this photographer quit a well paying, seemingly stable job and struck out on his own. He went on to setup his own studio and work independently, which eventually lead to his fame.

That interview lit a fire in Edie. She realized the vast majority of her time was spent focusing on other people and their accomplishments. As an editor for the newspaper she constantly was in contact with other people who seemed to be living their dream. Instead of reporting on other peoples' lives, she wanted to start living her own. In 2013 she started turning the theory she had learned all those years in class into reality by beginning to paint her own ink wash paintings. Later that year in November, along with two other artists, she put her work on display for the first time in Tianjin. Thereafter she began attending many other art shows gaining valuable experience, knowledge and connections within the industry. In 2016 her work went on display in Beijing at a gallery within the infamous 798 Art District. She even organized and hosted her own week long art exhibit in Tianjin. The effort involved planning the entire event and coordinating the other artists.

During all this time, Edie continued to work at the media group. However as with many other traditional media publications, in 2017 work related to the "Holiday 100" slowed considerably. This gave her extra time to dedicate to painting. Two female friends enjoyed having Edie teach them how to paint and would often come by her house to learn. In time, word got out, and other friends, along with friends of friends started coming by. Edie would play both host and teacher as she provided drinks and snacks accompanied by instruction in an informal setting. This all was very well received by the attendees, and the next thing she knew, a bigger space was needed. To her excitement, she found a new home for her studio in Heping district's: 风泉清听艺术馆 (fēngquán qīngtīng yìshùguǎn).

Beginning in November of 2017, Edie officially opened: "Edie Factory." The name comes from Andy Warhol's renowned New York studio called none other than the Factory. Edie's concept is simple. She believes in the words of Joseph Beuys: "Everyone is an artist." Each individual is a factory. Edie hopes to provide the platform whereby aspiring artists can start "production." She is now busier than ever, offering classing by appointment in the evenings and on the weekends. Attendance is growing and weekend classes can be at full capacity. In addition to finding Edie at her "Factory," fans can see her work on display at the Shangri-La Hotel in Hedong district, and even get a cocktail named after the art. The entire exhibit on display is known as: "10 Minutes Older" (十分钟，年华老去 shí fēnzhōng, niánhuá lǎoqù) being named after the movie. It features the work of two artists, one of which is Edie's collection called: "Perceived Reality" (红尘梦 Hóngchén Mèng). The idea behind the name and pieces is that at times reality is only as real as one perceives it to be.

Edie in her class

JIN thanks Edie for sharing her story. The idea of working at one company for one's entire life until retirement is becoming increasingly unrealistic. Edie's story shows that a combination of willingness to learn and patient practice can produce opportunity. Hardly a step backwards, Edie is enjoying her transition from fashion editor to factory founder.