Each of these illustrations are combined the image of a pottery figurine with something popular on the Internet. [Photo/Women of China]

The illustration of a female figurine performing the "haicao (seaweed)" dance was quite popular." I was inspired by a pottery figurine from the Tang Dynasty (618-907 ), "Wang explained." The figurine's shape looked like a woman stretching her sleeves while dancing. I thought she might be performing a popular dance in that period. I asked myself what dance could be that popular today? 'Haicao' dance immediately occurred to me. The gesture of the figurine resembles a gesture in 'haicao' dance, so I drew such an illustration."

In much the same process, Wang drew several other illustrations, each of which combined the image of a pottery figurine with something popular on the Internet. She used the illustrations to reflect her emotions. For example, the image of a male pottery figurine clenching his fist and saying "Come on!" was her first illustration. Wang drew that illustration to cheer herself up, because only a few of her relatives and friends supported her goal to become a professional illustrator. The illustrations Wang posted on Weibo touched many netizens' hearts. As Baili Muyan , she became known by an increasing number of people.

'Gifts from history'

Wang posted the series of pottery-figurine illustrations on her Weibo account on August 2, 2018. She did not pay much attention to netizens' feedback. Then, one day, one of her students told her that her illustrations became one of the "hot topics" that Weibo administrators recommended its users to search for.

"I logged into Weibo and found seven media outlets had sent me interview invitations. There were a lot of comments from netizens too. I was shocked," Wang recalled.