The month of May is turning out to be an important one for award-winning actress and now transformed glass artist Loretta Yang.

On Wednesday she was featured in JP Morgan Chase & Co's "Masters" advertising campaign and earlier this month her glass art brand LIULI joined Los Angeles's South Coast Plaza roster of stores.

For the Masters campaign, Yang teamed up with four other masters of their craft to represent the bank as global brand ambassadors. The group includes tennis star Serena Williams, celebrity dog trainer Joel Silverman, national fencing champion Tim Morehouse and the Rockettes, the world-famous dancers who perform at New York City's Radio Music Hall.

Chase said Yang was chosen because she has shown the world the possibilities of liuli art and her efforts have established LIULI as an international brand.

Yang's work has been acquired by more than 20 internationally renowned museums, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Corning Museum of Glass in New York and the Bower's Museum in California.

The label "master" is not one Yang easily accepts. She said that humility is a fundamental quality that Chinese hold in high esteem and one that her mother and father instilled deeply within her. She said she is hopeful that the highlighting of her personal life in the Chase Mastery program will inspire others.

Yang established Liuligongfang in 1987 with her director husband Chang, putting aside her career in the performing arts for which she has received many awards and professional recognition.

Despite repeated failures, Yang managed to extend her Taiwan-based boutique to the Chinese mainland and other parts of Asia. The couple chose the word liuli rather than the common name of boli for glass because she said it sounded more artistic.

After nearly three decades, Yang has elevated this traditional craftsmanship to a new high, introducing Chinese liuli to the world and establishing LIULI as a global success.

LIULI's past collaborators include Piaget and Harry Winston. Most recently, a LIULI designed award was given to actor Leonardo DiCaprio at Oceana's Sea Change party to honor his contributions to environmental causes.

LIULI at South Coast Plaza will offer pieces from LIULI collections as well as selections from the Red Dot Design Award winning LIULI Living and accessories from LIULI PLUX, according to the company. In celebration of the grand opening in May, Yang's signature artist collection Proof of Awareness will be on display for a limited time.

junechang@chinadailyusa.com

(China Daily USA 05/22/2015 page2)