Ma's "Valkyrie" pastry is available at the MGM Macau in conjunction with the Joana Vasconcelos exhibition until October. The hotel will double all proceeds from the sale of this pastry as a donation to Orbis, a charity that aims to prevent and treat blindness around the world. The "Valkyrie" pastry costs 68 patacas ($8.50)/a slice and 258 patacas for a whole cake.[Photo provided To China Daily]

What did you bring back from the contest?

The biggest enlightenment is that the Western candidates were using advanced tools and molds in pastry-making. For example, the ice-cream molds that the Italian team used are of unique designs. We made a frozen dessert and kept it (cold) with the ice sculpture.

Did you train in Europe?

I take overseas training every year in European countries such as France, and also Japan.

Your latest creation is inspired by Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos and her sculpture Valkyrie Octopus. How did you go about translating artwork into pastry?

In Southern China, artistic design is very important in pastry-making, especially in 5-star hotels. I read her bio and learned about the style of her work. The pastry used some iconic colors from her work such as red and yellow. She is satisfied with the pastry.

The kind of pastry you make is far from traditional Chinese cuisine. How did you get into this work?

My pastries are more of a Western style, combined with different Chinese elements. In my childhood, a soda and a bun brought me the biggest happiness. I thought the yummy buns were mysterious at that time, and wanted to know how to make them. That's how I become a pastry chef.