In the opinion of Hsia Yuan-yu, an expert on Chinese folk artifacts, Ch'en Hui-yen has transformed the ancient art of modelling dough figurines. She pays close attention to facial expression, physical structure, musculature, old clothing and hair styles, and even details such as eyebrows and eyelashes are painstakingly sculpted hair by hair.
對中國民俗文物有研究的夏元瑜認為，陳慧燕已將古舊的捏麵藝術脫胎換骨，她的作品不僅講究面部神情、人體結構、肉骨起伏、古代服飾和髮式，同時採用靈巧的塑捏雕刻手法，作品中細如眉髮甚至睫毛，全都是以手工一根根捏塑而成，與過去原始簡單的「捏麵人」大不相同。