Canto Cutie - Volume 3
Curated by Katherine Leung Edited by G and Tsz Kam Featuring the work of: Sally Chen | New York, USA Wandy Cheng | Toronto, Canada Cheng Tim Tim | Hong Kong Atom Cheung | Hong Kong Brenda Chi | Los Angeles, USA Brandon Chu | Hong Kong Adrienne Hugh | Hong Kong icylevs | San Diego, USA Tsz Kam | Austin, USA Kar | London, UK Steven Kin | Detroit, USA Cherie Kwok | Birmingham, UK Pamela Kwong | New York, USA Julie Lai | Hong Kong Karen Kar Yen Law | Toronto, Canada Lauren Man | Hong Kong Karon Ng | London, UK Misato Pang | St. Louis, USA PÚCA | Waterford City, Ireland Kristie Song | Irvine, USA Megan SooHoo | Los Angeles, USA J. Hyde T. | New York, USA Christina Young | New York, USA 莉子 | Hong Kong
Curated by Katherine Leung
Edited by G and Tsz Kam
Featuring the work of:
Sally Chen | New York, USA
Wandy Cheng | Toronto, Canada
Cheng Tim Tim | Hong Kong
Atom Cheung | Hong Kong
Brenda Chi | Los Angeles, USA
Brandon Chu | Hong Kong
Adrienne Hugh | Hong Kong
icylevs | San Diego, USA
Tsz Kam | Austin, USA
Kar | London, UK
Steven Kin | Detroit, USA
Cherie Kwok | Birmingham, UK
Pamela Kwong | New York, USA
Julie Lai | Hong Kong
Karen Kar Yen Law | Toronto, Canada
Lauren Man | Hong Kong
Karon Ng | London, UK
Misato Pang | St. Louis, USA
PÚCA | Waterford City, Ireland
Kristie Song | Irvine, USA
Megan SooHoo | Los Angeles, USA
J. Hyde T. | New York, USA
Christina Young | New York, USA
莉子 | Hong Kong
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An art zine about the Cantonese diaspora
Volume III July 2021 Curated by Katherine Leung
Canto Cutie
Volume III
Contributors
Sally Chen New York, USA
Wandy Cheng Toronto, Canada
Cheng Tim Tim Hong Kong
Atom Cheung Hong Kong
Brenda Chi Los Angeles, USA
Brandon Chu Hong Kong
Adrienne Hugh Hong Kong
icylevs San Diego, USA
Tsz Kam Austin, USA
Kar London, UK
Steven Kin Detroit, USA
Cherie Kwok Birmingham, UK
Pamela Kwong New York, USA
Julie Lai Hong Kong
Karen Kar Yen Law Toronto, Canada
Lauren Man Hong Kong
Karon Ng London, UK
Misato Pang St. Louis, USA
PÚCA Waterford City, Ireland
Kristie Song Irvine, USA
Megan SooHoo Los Angeles, USA
J. Hyde T. New York, USA
Christina Young New York, USA
莉 子 Hong Kong
I dedicate this volume to:
今 期 《 藝 文 聚 粵 》 獻 給
My grandfather (yeh yeh),
whose house along the lagoon
has been my second home for
the last four years
我 的 爺 爺 , 他 在 湖 邊 的 房 子
是 我 過 去 四 年 的 第 二 個 家
&
另 外
whose conversations about
language, linguistics, and
history prompted the creation
of Canto Cutie exactly one
year ago.
他 一 年 前 關 於 語 言 、 語 言 學
及 歷 史 的 對 話 , 促 使 《 藝 文
聚 粵 》 的 誕 生 。
From the editor
My first memories of Hong Kong take place at the Victoria Park
pool. As an adolescent Asian American, I was following in the
steps to become a competitive swimmer and I wouldn’t let
summers in Hong Kong get in the way of my rigorous training. My
mom would accompany my walk from our Wan Chai apartment to
the Victoria Park pool in Causeway Bay in the early mornings. The
British-style locker rooms and lack of lane lines differentiating
personal space in the pool embodied a different kind of swimming
etiquette. The water was usually packed with older people - and
without the lane markers, it was a microcosm of the traffic and
chaos of the larger city. The Victoria Park pool at peak times was
not a place to prove my athletic ability or selfishly get a “work out,”
at least in the individualized, American way that I was used to.
Hong Kong’s history - past and present - is intertwined with its
island locale. Before British colonization and before dynastic rule,
Hong Kong was a collection of fishing villages. The estuaries and
coastal habitats make it prime for some of the most biodiverse
wildlife found on earth. Both residents and visitors of Hong Kong
get a glimpse of this through it’s cuisine, a rich gastronomic
tradition rooted in seafood and portability, but the oceanic
geography has endless cultural implications. From it’s geopolitical
position, robust history of piracy and conquest, to the port
6
location which lends itself to being a safe haven for refugees and
migrants - many of the works in Volume III address the modern-day
repercussions of that very concept. In a sense, Hong Kongers are
drifters, prone to adapting to new situations, which could explain
why our diaspora is as diverse as it is.
Cantonese people in the United States arrived by sea to establish
New York City and San Francisco’s Chinatowns, which are referenced
frequently in this volume. Volume II was released at the end of a
year-long lockdown, but here we are in July 2021- simultaneously
experiencing the same hopefulness and homesickness. Many artists
have turned to food to reclaim autonomy in their lives. In uncertain
times, art will always be a source of comfort and familiarity.
我 對 香 港 的 第 一 個 記 憶 是 維 多 利 亞 公 園 游 泳 池 。 那 時 我 還 是 一 位 十
多 歲 的 亞 裔 美 國 人 , 正 準 備 成 一 位 游 泳 選 手 , 不 會 讓 香 港 的 夏 日 阻
礙 我 的 嚴 密 訓 練 。 母 親 一 大 早 就 會 陪 我 從 灣 仔 的 單 位 , 步 行 到 銅 鑼
灣 的 維 園 泳 池 。 游 泳 池 用 的 是 英 式 儲 物 櫃 室 , 池 内 沒 有 泳 線 間 隔 出
私 人 空 間 , 游 泳 禮 儀 習 慣 上 也 因 此 有 所 不 同 。 池 内 擠 滿 長 者 , 沒 有
間 出 泳 線 , 泳 池 就 變 成 這 城 市 人 多 混 亂 的 縮 影 。 繁 忙 時 候 的 維 園 泳
池 不 是 我 展 示 運 動 細 胞 或 是 自 私 地 鍛 煉 身 體 的 地 方 , 至 少 不 是 我 熟
悉 的 那 種 較 有 個 人 空 間 的 美 國 模 式 。
不 論 是 過 去 還 是 現 在 , 香 港 歷 史 都 跟 其 小 島 地 性 有 關 。 英 國 殖 民 時
期 前 , 甚 至 遠 在 史 前 時 期 , 香 港 曾 擁 有 多 條 漁 村 , 其 河 口 灣 及 海 灣
也 是 多 種 野 生 動 物 上 好 的 棲 息 地 。 香 港 很 多 飲 食 習 慣 也 跟 海 產 和 其
港 口 位 置 息 息 相 關 , 居 民 和 旅 客 可 以 透 過 美 食 看 到 香 港 海 洋 性 的 一
面 。 香 港 的 地 緣 政 治 定 位 、 海 盜 及 佔 據 的 豐 富 歷 史 , 以 及 港 口 地 理
( 使 其 成 為 難 民 及 移 民 的 避 風 港 ), 這 些 事 情 在 現 今 的 影 響 , 也 在
第 三 冊 的 作 品 中 涉 獵 。 某 程 度 上 , 香 港 人 一 直 在 漂 泊 著 , 經 常 就 新
環 境 作 出 應 變 , 這 也 是 我 們 離 散 群 體 如 此 多 樣 的 原 因 。
粵 裔 人 從 海 路 到 達 美 國 , 建 立 了 紐 約 市 及 三 藩 市 的 唐 人 街 , 今 期 不
少 作 品 也 提 及 到 這 一 點 。 第 二 冊 在 長 達 一 年 的 封 城 後 期 出 版 , 而 現
在 已 是 2021 年 7 月 , 同 時 經 歷 希 望 與 鄉 愁 。 很 多 藝 術 家 都 以 飲 食 來
重 據 自 己 的 生 活 。 在 動 蕩 的 時 候 , 藝 術 永 遠 都 是 熟 識 的 慰 藉 。
Katherine Leung
Editor and curator
編 輯 及 策 展 人
7
Table of Contents
Steven Kin 10
pottery
Sally Chen 18
illustration
Sally Chen 20
poetry
莉 子 24
illustration
Julie Lai 32
interview + feature
kar 48
photo
Cheng Tim Tim 50
poetry
Misato Pang 52
painting
Megan SooHoo 56
poetry
Lauren Man 58
photoset
J. Hyde T. 61
poetry
icylevs 66
poetry
Lauren Man 72
short story
Wandy Cheng 82
illustration
8
Christina Young 84
3D render
Brandon Chu 88
poetry
Brenda Chi 90
illustration
Yui Jit Kwong 92
poetry
Karen Kar Yen Law 94
interview + feature
Cherie Kwok 112
illustration
Atom Cheng 114
essay
Pamela Kwong 116
essay
Adrienne Hugh 118
digital manipulation
Adrienne Hugh 120
illustration
Kristie Song 122
short story
PÚCA 124
photoset
Tsz Kam 136
short story + paintings
Karon Ng 148
interview + feature
9
10
Steven Kin
Detroit, USA
I am a fourth generation Chinese American, whose family comes from
the Toisan region of Canton. These cups use take-out box iconography
and mix them with images from jobs worked by Asian immigrants to
support their families.
About Steven Kin
@s_kin
Steven Kin is a Detroit based artist. They make functional ceramic work
based on the process of creating and firing ceramics, and are currently
focused on making pots based on issues in the Asian American
diaspora. Most of their work is fired in soda and wood fired
atmospheres. Steven went to school at College for Creative Studies in
Detroit, graduating in 2019 with a BFA majoring in Ceramics and a
minor in Product Design.
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12
Steven Kin
Asian Diaspora Rocks Cup (Grocery)
3.5"x3.5"x4", Soda Fired Porcelain
13
14
Steven Kin
Asian Diaspora Rocks Cup (Restaurant)
3.5"x3.5"x4", Soda Fired Porcelain
15
16
Steven Kin
Asian Diaspora Rocks Cup (Laundromat/Textiles)
3.5"x3.5"x4", Soda Fired Porcelain
17
18
Sally Chen
flipping fish
Digital Illustration
19
My poem and visual art pieces are all
explorations of the intricacies and
intertwinements of intergenerational
trauma that my family and I hold.
There are slippery and winding
folktales that live in the recesses of my
mind. Vague ideas of home and
identity fragment into pieces that are
then lovingly put back together at the
seams. I long for peace and comfort
from parsing through my own family’s
diasporic and ephemeral narratives
that are so riddled with invisible pain,
grief, and steeled resolves, and how I
can find and incorporate bursts of
light in the cracks inevitably made
from transit.
Sally Chen
20
Sally Chen
New York, USA
“flipping fish” is a digital illustration about the superstition where it’s bad
luck to flip over a whole fish instead of removing the bone because it
resembles a capsized boat. It brings to life one of the many surreal folktales
and memories I was taught growing up.
About Sally Chen
salpalsworld.myportfolio.com @salpal.c
Sally Chen (any/all) is a queer, second-generation Toisanese American
illustrator and poet that loves to make work about connections to people,
places, and objects through the lens of intimacy, ideas of home, and
identity. They’re currently a BFA Illustration student at Parson’s School of
Design and dream of a future with less boundaries and more love. They
adore pockets of sunshine, jade pendants, herbal jelly, and holding hands.
21
toisan + me // ( 台 山 + 我 )
by Sally Chen
“toisan + me // ( 台 山 + 我 )” is a poem I wrote shortly after the first trip
I made to Toisan (that I remember) in 2016. It’s a place so familiar to
my parents and grandparents, but not me; yet the imagery, scents, and
liveliness of Toisan were so familiar and reflective of the lives I knew in
Brooklyn. I simultaneously felt like I was finally home, and yet
undeniably like I didn’t belong. Since then, I’ve kept this poem close to
my heart and performed it a couple of times at open mics, including
once at the Asian American Writer’s Workshop.
in a land that
i have not returned to in over a decade,
the scent of
car exhaust
from the exhausted;
cigarette smoke from
disillusioned teens & overworked uncles; and
the meaty smell from street food stands that
have existed for years —
making and remaking a family tradition
as if possessed by the spirit of their ancestors,
fills my lungs.
the sound of
mahjong tiles clicking and clacking as they’re moved by
old but nimble fingers that know each piece by the grooves,
(a tell-tale sign that they’ve played the game for years);
the ring of a passing bicycle bell and urgent pedaling,
a reassuring cue that they’re being waited for,
that they’re needed;
the buzzing from mosquitos,
(a soft yet constant reminder that we’re never alone); and
hushed murmurs in a heavily accented dialect through
thinly veiled apartment windows,
whispering about divorce, money, and
death
(of course death)
fills my ears.
the sight of
a glowing convenience store sign a block down,
whose neon light caresses the faces of those who pass,
softening yet revealing each individual’s hills and dips,
(ups and downs);
uniform, towering apartments covered in vines, marble, and steel —
(were they ever meant to be together,
those things made by mother nature and these things
made by our nature?)
fills my eyes.
above me is
an inky black sky peppered with
just about a million glittering stars, twinkling
as if they were trying to play peekaboo with the dark
that gently envelops them now, but
will
u d u t d y
n o b e l
soon
consume
them.
poh poh says,
“if you look at them for too long,
you’re going to have as many moles as there are stars!”
but,
even in the city where the stars hide,
i bloom speckles of pigment:
a natural reminder that
maybe i’m supposed to be
on the watch for them.
i breathe and
in this small city,
in this fleeting,
seemingly insignificant moment, only
w o n d e r
fills my heart.
莉 子
Hong Kong
Originally from Osaka, Japan, I’ve been living in Hong Kong for 10 years
now. I've been a "foreigner" my entire life - living in Japan, Taiwan,
Shanghai, and finally Hong Kong. As a foreigner, food was one way that
I familiarized myself with the Cantonese culture. My illustrations
include words in Japanese, English and Chinese - to me, this chaotic,
diverse city is a liminal space where I feel at home but disorientated and
lost about my identity at the same time - and that’s exactly why I love
this city. .
About 莉 子 tanakr530.wixsite.com/my-site @rikos_pen
My illustrations reflect how food and our social and political lives are so
inevitably interconnected. As the political situation intensified and the
pandemic spread, the people of the city showed their resilience and
adaptability. For me, the shifting eating culture of this city is a
representation of that. My illustrations are filled with Easter eggs - from
proverbs hidden in billboards, smokes, key figures lurking in the
background and more, hoping to capture the subtle signs of people's
resistance.
莉 子
新 ・フードコート
Illustration
莉 子
おうち 火 鍋
Illustration
28
莉 子
雨 降 り 酒 楼
Illustration
29
30
莉 子
監 視 カメラと 茶 餐 廳
Illustration
31
Interview
with Julie Lai
32
Julie Lai
Lockdown Comfort
Digital Illustration
33
34
Julie Lai
Hong Kong
Julie Lai is an illustrator born and raised in Hong Kong. She
graduated from Falmouth University with a BA in Illustration.
Drawing inspiration from urban and natural landscapes, she aims to
explore the contours of spaces through an emotive lens. Fluid lines
and textures are a common feature of her visual style.
Julie Lai 是 一 位 於 香 港 土 生 土 長 的 插 畫 家 , 她 在 法 爾 茅 斯 大 學 畢
業 , 取 得 插 畫 系 文 學 士 學 位 。 她 從 城 市 及 自 然 風 景 取 材 , 以 情 感
豐 富 的 角 度 , 探 索 空 間 的 輪 廓 。 流 暢 的 線 條 和 質 感 是 她 視 覺 風 格
的 常 見 元 素 。
laijulie.com @juliecoolie
35
You have an amazing watercoloresque
style with an organic palette
and poetic, sinewy line work. How
did you develop this style?
你 的 作 品 用 色 自 然 , 線 條 分 明 且 富 有
詩 意 , 風 格 有 點 像 水 彩 畫 。 這 種 畫 風
是 怎 樣 演 變 而 成 的 ?
My style evolved from experiments in
mixing and playing around with
traditional and digital media. I really
enjoy using marks and multiple lines
in my work, probably influenced by
my exposure to Chinese paintings and
calligraphy. Something as simple as
lines cannot be overlooked, as they
have such a strong ability to convey
emotion or energy to viewers.
Incorporating intuitive and
spontaneous marks often helps me
weave in certain emotions into an
illustration. I’m a huge fan of brush
pens and the kind of varied and fluid
marks it creates.
我 嘗 試 了 傳 統 和 數 碼 媒 體 , 將 兩 者 揉
合 , 並 從 這 些 試 驗 中 建 立 了 自 己 的 風
格 。 我 喜 歡 在 作 品 使 用 多 重 線 條 , 這
可 能 跟 我 接 觸 中 國 國 畫 和 書 法 有 關 。
線 條 雖 然 簡 單 , 但 能 向 觀 眾 表 達 情 感
和 力 量 , 因 此 不 能 忽 視 。 採 用 這 些 以
直 覺 隨 心 所 畫 的 線 條 , 有 助 將 某 些 情
感 注 入 畫 作 。 我 也 很 喜 歡 毛 筆 , 以 及
它 多 變 、 流 暢 的 線 條 。
The Sum of Everything is a
collaborative project you work on
with Adriena Fong, Amita
Sevellaraja and Sarah Wong based
on your personal experience with
cultural identity. Can you talk
more about how you chose to work
with these three other femaleidentifying
artists? What was the
process like? What’s next for this
project?
「The Sum of Everything 」 是 你 跟
Adriena Fong、Amita Sevellaraja 和
Sarah Wong 的 合 作 項 目 , 主 題 關 於 你
們 的 個 人 經 歷 及 文 化 身 分 認 同 。 你 為
甚 麼 選 擇 跟 這 三 位 女 性 藝 術 家 合 作 ?
過 程 是 怎 樣 的 ? 這 項 目 將 來 有 甚 麼 計
劃 ?
The four of us have been really good
friends throughout university.
Though we were all from different
countries in Asia, we discovered that
we had a lot of similar experiences and
feelings about the topic of cultural
identity, often feeling not eastern or
western enough as we travelled back
and forth from our homes to the UK.
36
The process was very organic,
stemming from long personal
conversations. As this was a
collaborative project, we thought that
we could take more liberties with the
format and explore cultural identity
in a more conceptual manner. The
format of the project was a
concertina that took inspiration from
tapestry motifs and decorative
elements. The priority was to bring
our own personal experiences and
ideas to the forefront. Under the
overarching theme of cultural
identity and belonging, we each had a
panel to explore specific ideas we had
in relation to the theme. This project
feels to me like a celebration of the
parts that make us who we are. Due to
the pandemic, we weren’t able to
showcase the project in our
graduation show but we’re definitely
open to collaborating again on future
works.
我 們 四 個 在 大 學 時 是 很 要 好 的 朋 友 ,
雖 然 我 們 來 自 不 同 亞 洲 國 家 , 但 大 家
在 文 化 身 分 認 同 這 課 題 上 有 很 多 類 似
的 經 歷 和 情 感 , 在 往 返 英 國 和 家 鄉
時 , 總 覺 得 自 己 不 夠 東 方 , 也 不 夠 西
方 。
我 們 的 創 作 始 於 漫 長 的 個 人 對 話 , 是
自 然 而 生 的 過 程 。 因 為 這 是 一 個 合 作
項 目 , 我 們 覺 得 可 以 在 形 式 上 更 隨
意 , 以 一 個 更 概 念 性 的 方 法 探 索 文 化
身 分 認 同 。 這 項 目 以 手 風 琴 摺 頁 的 形
式 展 示 作 品 , 並 從 緙 織 壁 毯 圖 案 及 裝
飾 元 素 中 取 得 靈 感 , 而 重 點 是 呈 現 個
人 經 驗 和 想 法 。 在 文 化 身 分 認 同 及 歸
屬 感 的 大 課 題 下 , 我 們 各 有 一 頁 探 索
跟 該 主 題 相 關 的 想 法 。 對 我 來 說 , 這
項 目 就 像 紀 念 那 些 造 就 我 們 身 分 的 元
素 。 因 為 疫 情 關 係 , 我 們 不 能 在 畢 業
展 中 展 出 這 作 品 , 但 我 們 希 望 日 後 可
以 再 次 合 作 。
Julie Lai
The Sum of Everything
Digital Illustration
37
38
As you grapple with the “East vs West” mentality in your art, you
evoke a lot of symbolism in your work for The Sum of Everything.
Can you tell me more about the symbols in this piece?
你 的 作 品 涉 獵 「 中 西 合 璧 」 的 意 識 , 而 你 也 在 「The Sum of
Everything」 運 用 大 量 象 徵 手 法 。 可 以 解 釋 一 下 這 作 品 中 的 象 徵 元 素
嗎 ?
Growing up, being told that I wasn’t “enough” of something (e.g not
Chinese enough or not local enough) was a point of insecurity that
created a lot of inner turmoil. I wanted my art to reflect the point of self
acceptance that I have reached, where I no longer seek out external
validation from others.
The top left features Lion Rock, an iconic symbol of the Hong Kong spirit
of perseverance and solidarity. It overlooks the bustling and energetic
city, with crowds gathered together. Perseverance is also a key personal
value of mine that has been instilled into me since childhood and this is
echoed by the lotus flowers, which emerge and blossom from muddy
waters.
The cup of Hong Kong milk tea acts as a symbol of the merging of East
and West, as it is the combination of black tea and evaporated or
condensed milk. The drink echoes my own upbringing and identity as
someone who has been influenced and shaped by both Eastern and
Western culture. The combination of those things have created who I am
today, with its own uniqueness. Hence, the entire composition together
is this sort of affirmation and celebration of my identity.
在 我 成 長 時 , 有 人 對 我 說 我 的 「 不 足 」( 例 如 不 夠 華 人 、 不 夠 本
地 ), 會 動 搖 我 的 安 全 感 、 讓 我 內 心 產 生 糾 結 。 我 希 望 自 己 的 藝 術 可
以 反 映 我 鍛 鍊 出 的 自 我 接 納 , 我 不 再 需 要 旁 人 的 肯 定 。
左 上 角 的 獅 子 山 是 香 港 堅 忍 和 團 結 精 神 的 代 表 , 獅 子 山 俯 瞰 繁 忙 而 又
充 滿 活 力 的 城 市 , 當 中 人 群 走 在 一 起 。 堅 忍 是 我 從 小 開 始 就 被 灌 輸 的
概 念 , 對 我 來 說 是 一 個 很 重 要 的 個 人 價 值 觀 , 而 從 淤 泥 中 綻 放 而 出 蓮
花 , 也 重 申 了 這 種 價 值 觀 。
港 式 奶 茶 結 合 紅 茶 和 淡 奶 或 煉 奶 , 是 「 中 西 合 璧 」 的 象 徵 , 也 反 映 著
我 的 成 長 及 身 分 認 同 , 因 為 我 也 是 給 東 西 方 文 化 所 影 響 和 塑 造 而 成
的 。 這 些 事 物 結 合 起 來 , 造 就 了 今 天 這 個 獨 特 的 我 , 因 此 整 個 作 品 的
構 圖 用 意 是 確 立 和 紀 念 我 的 身 分 。
39
40
Lockdown Comfort is a collection of Hong
Kong dishes you fondly recall and return to,
time and time again. In your recollections,
location and geographical space play a role in
your memories. You write about your time at
Fairwood, Cafe de Coral, Cha Can Tengs and
Dai Pai Dongs. How are these places affected
by arguments of cultural authenticity
ongoing in Hong Kong today? How are these
places bastions for more than just Hong
Kong’s quirky gastronomy, but rather,
something political?
「Lockdown Comfort」 是 一 系 列 你 一 再 回 想 和
談 及 的 港 式 小 菜 。 在 你 的 記 憶 中 , 地 點 及 地 理 空
間 均 佔 了 一 個 角 色 。 你 寫 下 了 在 大 快 活 、 大 家
樂 、 茶 餐 廳 和 大 排 檔 度 過 的 時 光 。 現 時 在 香 港 有
關 文 化 真 實 性 的 討 論 如 何 影 響 這 些 地 方 ? 為 甚 麼
這 些 地 方 不 只 是 香 港 獨 特 飲 食 文 化 的 堡 壘 , 而 是
帶 有 深 一 層 政 治 涵 義 ?
Places such as Cha Can Tengs and Dai Pai Dongs
form this collective memory in the hearts of Hong
Kongers. However, they are dwindling in numbers
due to several factors. I suppose the question of
authenticity might be questioned when foods
originally served in Cha Can Tengs and Dai Pai
Dongs end up being served in fast food chains
such as Fairwood. I think regardless of location,
cooking such Hong Kong dishes is a political act in
itself, which refuses to be eroded under the force
of political winds. These dishes are ultimately a
unique reflection of the city’s history and people.
茶 餐 廳 及 大 排 檔 等 地 方 在 香 港 人 心 目 中 是 集 體 回
憶 的 一 部 分 , 但 因 為 各 種 原 因 而 逐 漸 息 微 。 我 認
為 茶 餐 廳 及 大 排 檔 美 食 成 為 大 快 活 等 連 鎖 快 餐 店
的 食 物 時 , 就 構 成 了 真 實 性 的 問 題 。 但 無 論 在 甚
麼 地 方 , 做 這 些 港 式 菜 本 就 是 帶 政 治 意 味 的 舉
動 , 因 為 飲 食 不 會 被 政 治 風 氣 蠶 食 。 這 些 菜 式 是
這 城 市 的 歷 史 和 人 的 獨 特 縮 影 。
Julie Lai
Lockdown Comfort
Digital Illustration
41
Yin Yeung is a mixture of Hong Kong
style milk tea and coffee mixed
together, “a kind of reflection of Hong
Kong’s hybrid identity,” you write. But
you didn’t try to recreate it until
lockdown, using an aeropress and
Facebook video tutorial. Can you talk
about why this was necessary, more
than ever, in quarantine?
鴛 鴦 由 港 式 奶 茶 和 咖 啡 混 合 而 成 , 你
指 它 「 反 映 香 港 的 混 合 身 分 」。 然 而
你 一 直 未 沖 過 這 飲 料 , 到 封 城 才 跟 著
Facebook 上 的 教 學 影 片 , 用 咖 啡 機
沖 鴛 鴦 。 你 可 以 解 釋 一 下 , 為 甚 麼 在
隔 離 的 時 候 , 這 顯 得 尤 其 重 要 ?
In quarantine, the outside world sort
of blurred away in the confines of my
home. Every day had this feeling of
uncertainty and worry, which drew me
into finding the comforting and the
familiar. Whilst living in Hong Kong,
Yin Yeung was readily available
around me. But the lockdown period
really pushed this “why not” attitude,
that encouraged me to try things that
I never had done before. The distinct
flavour instantly brought back a flood
of memories that were incredibly
soothing at that point of time.
隔 離 的 時 候 , 因 為 困 在 家 中 , 外 面 的
世 界 變 得 模 糊 , 每 天 都 充 滿 未 知 之 數
和 擔 憂 , 這 驅 使 我 尋 找 慰 藉 和 熟 悉 的
感 覺 。 鴛 鴦 在 香 港 很 容 易 買 到 , 而 封
城 則 促 成 了 「 有 何 不 可 」 的 態 度 , 鼓
勵 我 嘗 試 我 從 未 做 過 的 事 。 這 獨 特 的
味 道 立 刻 勾 起 我 的 回 憶 , 在 那 時 候 給
我 很 大 的 安 慰 。
In your work, these dishes
transcend traditional ideas of
cuisine and taste, but rather,
uncertainty in Hong Kong’s
political situation. Can you talk
about how food has become a
political refuge for you?
在 你 的 作 品 , 這 些 菜 式 不 單 止 是 飲 食
和 味 道 的 傳 統 意 義 , 更 是 反 映 香 港 政
治 情 況 的 不 穩 定 。 可 以 解 釋 一 下 食 物
如 何 成 為 你 的 政 治 庇 蔭 ?
Hong Kong is often described as “on
borrowed time in a borrowed place”.
The events from 2019 onwards ignited
this fear about the city’s future and
whether or not its unique culture
would be preserved under political
tides. Recreating these recipes from
scratch miles away from home felt
like an exercise in resistance, whilst
simultaneously providing refuge. It
affirmed to me that Hong Kong will
always be the home that I love, and no
matter what happens, at least I’ll have
these dishes to remind me of good
memories and moments.
香 港 經 常 被 形 容 為 「 借 來 的 時 間 、 借
來 的 地 方 」。2019 年 起 發 生 的 事 情
引 起 大 家 對 這 城 市 前 程 的 恐 懼 , 令 人
思 考 在 政 治 浪 潮 下 , 香 港 能 否 保 留 其
獨 特 文 化 。 離 家 千 里 之 外 , 從 零 開 始
準 備 這 些 菜 式 , 就 像 對 抗 這 些 浪 潮 一
樣 , 同 時 又 帶 給 我 庇 蔭 。 這 讓 我 確 定
香 港 永 遠 都 是 我 所 愛 的 家 園 , 無 論 發
生 任 何 事 , 至 少 我 也 有 這 些 菜 式 , 讓
我 記 起 美 好 的 回 憶 和 時 光 。
42
Julie Lai
Lockdown Comfort
Digital Illustration
43
Tell me more about After Dark,
a personal work depicting a
Hong Kong alley after dark.
可 以 講 解 「After Dark」 這 個 描
繪 香 港 橫 街 小 巷 入 夜 景 色 的 個 人
作 品 嗎 ?
After Dark was actually based off
an actual alley in Sha Tin. Hong
Kong tends to be depicted as this
cosmopolitan and futuristic city,
but this illustration was
showcasing these kinds of quiet
alleyways that you see as you walk
past rows of buildings. A not so
glamorous view of garbage bins
and boxes with the backdrop of
the neon lights of the city.
「After Dark」 繪 畫 的 其 實 是 沙
田 一 條 小 巷 。 香 港 一 般 被 視 為 大
都 會 、 充 滿 未 來 感 的 城 市 , 而 這
作 品 則 描 繪 走 過 一 排 又 一 排 的 大
廈 時 所 看 到 的 寧 靜 小 巷 。 以 城 市
的 霓 虹 燈 作 背 景 , 描 繪 了 這 地 方
滿 街 垃 圾 桶 和 廢 紙 箱 、 不 太 華 麗
的 一 面 。
Julie Lai
After Dark
Digital Illustration
44
45
Lockdown Comfort is a
project that explores
returning to certain Hong
Kong dishes that evoke
strong memories,
creating this longing for
home whilst
simultaneously creating
an opportunity to
reconnect with one's
identity and culture. It's a
reminder of how food can
affirm one's identity
whilst providing a sense
of needed comfort.
Julie Lai
Julie Lai
Lockdown Comfort
Digital Illustration
48
kar
London, UK
Prior to 1997, my parents - like many Hong Kongers at the time - made
the difficult decision to uproot their lives and to immigrate in fear of
what would become of the city post Handover. In 2021, it feels like
history is repeating itself as many are faced with the agonizing dilemma
of possibly leaving the place that they call home. A home that is all too
quickly losing its unique identity, ideas, and ideals. A home that is being
eroded without the consent of its people. A home that no longer
recognisably resembles theirs, or feels like home.
About kar @chasingkar @sketchykarr
kar is a self-identified banana - yellow on the outside, kinda white on the
inside, trying to blend her two identities, rather than seeing them as
dualities. kar was born in Canada and raised in Hong Kong, she
currently lives in the UK.
kar
Home Kong
digital photo
49
Rudimentary Cantonese
for Shawn Shawn
Your toddler's accent renewed tong si,
poems from the Tang Dynasty,
gracing anxious aunties before sleep
who play your videos on repeat.
Lines live on (beyond the poet's intention.)
花 落 faa lok / final (flowers fall / 最 終 )
知 zit / 擳 (who knows / tickle)
多 少 do siu / 到 笑 (how many?/ smile)
Your mother goes by the name Zi,
worrying he'll be as stubborn as me.
"H" stands for home, Hong Kong
but more importantly, honesty.
You will gain a new mother tongue.
Cantonese may just live among
your household, in the tilted rhymes
of springs sleeping in mind's soil.
50
Cheng Tim Tim
Hong Kong
A coworker of mine is emigrating from Hong Kong for her 2-year-old
son due to political tension. I wrote the poem "Rudimentary Cantonese"
as a parting gift to my coworker, who shares videos of her son reciting
Cantonese poems. The poem attempts to capture my fascination on the
inter-zone of languages, especially in early language acquisition,
translation and immigrant families.
About Cheng Tim Tim
Cheng Tim Tim is a teacher and a poet born in Hong Kong to a Hokkien
family. Her poems have been published or are forthcoming in Cha: An
Asian Literary Journal, The Offing, SAND Journal, Cordite Poetry
Review, among others. She is one of the co-founding editors of EDGE:
HKBU Creative Journal. She believes in music that heals and provokes.
51
52
Misato Pang
Gather round the dinner table.
Noises everywhere, no real
conversations. Just glances
22”x30”, Oil on paper
53
Generational divide is
one of the biggest social
phenomenon facing
Hong Kong as the prodemocracy
movement
escalates to counter the
lack of response from
the government.
Misato Pang
Misato Pang
St. Louis, USA
One of the issues confronting this divide is the fundamental value
placement in what we define as “a good life.” In a nutshell, most older
generations value economic stability and social harmony as utmost priority,
whereas the younger generations value opportunities for social progress and
the merit of human rights as foundation for the longevity of genuine
happiness. These two values inevitably clash as the youngster storms out of
his/her house leaving the old ones panting for air from a heated argument.
Are conversations available during this time of massive political unrest and
social chaos? I don’t know. But I do hope that we could all gather around this
table still— and maybe for once, we can look each other in the eyes and
recognize the humanity amongst ourselves. Love triumphs.
About Misato Pang
@misatopang
I was born and raised in Hong Kong under Japanese and Chinese parents
and immigrated to the United States during late adolescence. My work
consists of images adopted from Asian rituals that are filtered through the
lens of Western aesthetics. I am drawn to the intense concentration of
saturated colors and abstracted forms in Fauvism and Die Brücke, as well as
the crudeness and somewhat sinister innocence of Outsider art. I am fond of
creating a peculiar narrative that exists on the cusp of reality and
imagination. As a result, what was once familiar as tradition to a certain
cultural insider now alienates the viewer due to the awkwardness and
unexpected elements that appear in the paintings. My images are often
composed in a manner that is spontaneous and reactive to the process of
mark-making, while the interlocking forms and color shifts are an attempt to
create dimensions of space that could reveal themselves over time.
first time for everything
from the moment you said it
i could feel a sense of indifference
taste saline up and down my airway
all i could do was nod and say “mhm”
all i could do was nod and say “mhm”
during our conversation
after we talked
i was going through my thoughts
i couldn’t hold it any longer
i bursted into tears
i tried to suppress it
it wouldn’t budge
i could finally sense
what was happening to me
the restlessness and tension inside of me couldn’t catch my breath
heartbeat beating incessantly
my self-sabotaging nature
reliving those emotions
of being alone by myself
myself in a corner crying aloud
helpless with what was in front of me trying to lay myself down
as i couldn’t stop sobbing
tasting the salt through my lungs taxing for gasped air...
i was able to re-compose
bring my thoughts aloud
all it was...was the fear
of not being loved
not having someone to fall back on it was all in my mind
the trembling tremor of my fears taken abound
56
Megan SooHoo
Los Angeles, USA
“first time for everything” was a poem that was created after I
experienced my first visceral panic/anxiety attack. It was a weird
combination of mixed feelings and unfamiliar territory that I wasn't
used to receiving. Being comforted by someone you feel deeply about
and knowing there is an ultimate care and support can be unimaginable
at times.
About Megan SooHoo meganvsoohoo.studio @mvsoohoo
Megan SooHoo is a Los Angeles native that is currently based in Los
Angeles, CA. She is currently finishing up her final year at California
College of the Arts and is expected to graduate in Fall 2021. She mainly
works within the realm of photography, sculpture, and installation, but
enjoys being multifaceted in various practices. Most of her work conveys
the human condition within their surroundings and in most recent
years, portrays her own personal experiences through her art practice.
57
58
Lauren Man
Typhoon Worlds
Digital photo
59
60
J. Hyde T.
New York, USA
As a 竹 升 in a Cantonese household all my expressions and feelings I
have towards my parents are almost always lost in translation. There
are many times when my parents' expectations feel like suffocating
burdens - and I'm fine with that, because just like how I cannot come
to understand them, I do not need them to understand me. My poems
focus on such.
About J. Hyde T.
@hyde_the_bitter
My work explores the tip of suicidal thoughts and failing to meet the
expectation of my love ones. Through my poems I want my readers to
know that there can be solace in being lost.
* 竹 升 is a Cantonese slang term for an overseas Chinese person who
was born in a Western country or a Chinese person who prefers to
identify with Western culture over traditional Chinese culture.
61
Red Basin
by J. Hyde T.
I remember the nights
when you scrubbed my back
telling me to grow up to
understand gratefulness
needs to be paid back with sincerity
That if I kept my head down
and paced along
I can brace success
with comfort you've never had
Your embrace left me affection
As you wiped my face
I thought you were my all
and to dive was to sink
Now I can't recall why
hot showers
poured like ladles of soup
Or why your breath bothered me
Or why your mutters always crept
close to my neck
pricing air
Repeating that you've paid
to pave where I stood
and to float was all I needed to do
That my repentance
was to stop keeping my head up
when I'm looking at you.
Melting Closet
by J. Hyde T.
You're looking at me through those colored lenses
more tired than agitated of what I've become
62
My words bleed of gasoline
too demure to greet your ears
You call them muffled lies
disguised phases faking cries
I'm impaled by my ladder
motion without progression
The higher I go, the tighter your arms fold
unwilling to catch me if I were to fall
I've forgotten your warm embrace
less familiar than a soap bar armed with a blade
My chase for yesterday
has been scorching on a white trace
Your lips are searchin' for a star
lost in the winter rain
But I've been burning since last
spring. An ignition straying pass
your recognition.
Take Care Tonight (I Want To Sleep In Some More)
by J. Hyde T.
Sometimes I lay on the roof
hoping for the shingles to come loose
So I can slide and watch the stars collide
as I hit the river
head first going for a shallow dive
I would Wish I could chase my thoughts
until they all run chest first
through a strainer
leaving their clothes behind
so I can reclaim them to be mine
But it's just another Sunday night
I'm naked under red light
waiting for the Sometimes
and the Wish that I would
if I could.
63
64
Lauren Man
Typhoon Worlds
Digital photo
65
二 四 八 八 (2488)
by icylevs
My poem speaks on the fetishization of Asian women and the
perpetual foreignness that Asian Americans face in their
everyday lives. Often, simply stating the place where we grew up
is not a good enough answer even if we have never left the
country. This poem also honors and highlights the reality of
injustices that our ancestors faced and the significant roles that
they play in American history.
“So like… where are you from?”
The Bay Area, CA.
“No, like, where are you from?”
The Bay Area, CA.
“Come on now…
Where are you really from,
Where do you call home?”
If you are asking me
About my ‘exotic’ and ‘oriental’ features,
You’ve never seen anyone like me,
My English is amazing,
Thanks, it’s my third language.
No, I will not say a native phrase.
I guess my answer is
The Bay Area, CA.
My home.
Where my identity is rich in the culture, going dumb, and the
land of the hyphy.
Oakland.
Chinatown.
My home.
Where I spent countless days playing on the dragon boat,
Lincoln Park
With kids that look just like me.
66
The basement.
45th Avenue.
My home.
Where four families shared a two bedroom,
They all chipped in for their first trophy.
American.
But if you’re asking where I’m really from,
I guess my answer is
I’m really from the Transcontinental Railroad,
Where my great great grandfather’s blood and sweat are drenched
into the tracks of this land,
Just to be confined to the streets of
San Francisco.
Chinatown.
Unless of course,
He had dry-cleaning in his hands.
I’m really from Angel Island,
Where my great grandfather was held, for months
In a cell, with fifty other men.
Carving vertical lines into the walls, to count
The number of days it has been.
All waiting for interrogation, questions
“How many windows are in the place that you lived in?”
A moment of silence for those who didn’t make it out at the end.
I’m really from 媽 Ma,
Who at Twenty-three,
Left dancing, singing, dreams, dignity,
In exchange for Twenty US Dollars
And a Chinese to English dictionary.
I’m really from Her.
Who at Twenty-three,
Took a job as a maid,
With the hope that life could be made, for Me.
It has been forty years.
Forty years of lost dignity.
I’m really from my name 飛 Fei, to Fly,
Where Ma’s aspirations are channeled in me to soar, high. Masked
by an American name to save me
My dignity of the mispronunciation of My identity.
67
I’m really from 舅 父 , my uncle, who assumed the role of a father,
When mine decided to AWOL.
I’m really from 姐 姐 , my big sister, 細 佬 , my little brother,
His children.
Who have given me the honor of becoming the middle sibling.
I’m really from my students,
Portable 33.
Who trusted me to be their teacher,
They have taught me the most about life,
They are the reasons why I teach.
Home is where the smell of burning incenses hurt my nostrils,
And what sounds like yelling, is really
婆 婆 , my grandma, calling from the kitchen.
Home is where love is never mentioned, but displayed by
Cooking too much food and asking if you’ve eaten.
San Lorenzo, CA.
Where a twenty-four year collection of my belongings sit to
loam,
In the basement.
Ma’s very own three bedroom
Home.
But, I guess if you’re asking me about my ancestors,
Home begins in two villages.
Myanmar.
China.
I have never been.
I’m from The Bay.
That really is home.
About icylevs
@icylevs
I am a first generation Asian American from the Bay Area, CA. I
am an aspiring educator and youth advocate. I dream of the day
when my students will no longer be pestered about where they
come from.
68
Lauren Man
Typhoon Worlds
Digital photo
69
70
Lauren Man
Typhoon Worlds
Digital photo
71
Having spent most of my
life in Hong Kong, I
sometimes feel as if the
city is overly familiar to
me. I look forward to
when rain coats the city
ground and makes
everything luminescent.
These were taken during a
walk along Victoria
Harbour in July 2020, in
the aftermath of a T8
typhoon.
Lauren Man
72
Lauren Man
Hong Kong
COVID-19 brought me home to Hong Kong in the middle of my
undergraduate marine biology course in the United States. Being home
exposed me to Hong Kong's hidden marine biodiversity and how it
intertwines with the livelihoods of our coastal people. Through exploring
our backyard waters, I developed a deeper connection to my city.
About Lauren Man laurenman.wixsite.com @laurman34
Lauren Man was born and raised in Hong Kong and is currently pursuing a
marine biology degree at the University of California, Los Angeles. She
loves exploring the relationship between people and place, and how the
natural environment shapes people's sense of belonging.
73
“Don’t look down on Hong Kong corals!”
The early morning light rays streamed through the clear water, casting
reflections onto the large mat of stony corals. The water was just warm
enough to swim in without a wetsuit, and the waves gently rocked me about
like a baby. Equipped with a snorkel and a weight belt, I could move in all 3
dimensions of the water column, but I chose to exhale and sink to the coralcovered
seafloor. Tiny blue and yellow fish swam past me, and the turquoise
stretched on as far as I could see, speckled with a coral branch here and an
urchin spike there.
This was the quintessential image of the tropical island life, yet I wasn’t on
vacation in Maldives, French Polynesia or the Carribean. I was back home in
Hong Kong, one of the most populous and polluted cities in the world, and
unable to leave because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Chek Chau
74
Spanning only 24 miles wide and 14 miles vertically, I’d always felt like Hong
Kong was limited in what it could offer me. It was a geographically
minuscule, self-contained semi-autonomous city, and I had spent my last 20
years zooming around the same subway lines and hiking in the same country
parks. Opportunities seemed limited for an aspiring marine biologist like
me, and by 18, I felt completely beat down by Hong Kong’s high-pressure
education system and was growing increasingly wary of totalitarian China’s
growing influence over Hong Kong. That’s why I left my city in 2018 to study
at a college in the United States, where the land seemed to stretch on forever
in the horizon.
However, when COVID-19 struck, I ended up flying back to my
hometown, opting for familiarity and a sense of security in these
uncertain times. After 6 months back, a creeping sense of ennui was
beginning to set in. So, when my internship invited me on a field trip
out at sea along Hong Kong’s Tolo Channel, I jumped at the
opportunity to venture beyond my terrestrial limits. Although I wasn’t
allowed to help conduct the underwater experiment itself, I could
process their seawater samples, and best of all, got some free time to
snorkel in the waters of otherwise inaccessible islands.
Hong Kong is a hilly metropolis, but it is also an archipelago. Our 263
islands span 635 square miles of sea. We have an astonishing diversity
of marine and coastal habitats for such a small city, from the dolphinpopulated
estuaries of the west to the clear, oceanic waters on the east.
Our sampling site, Chek Chau, was an eastern outlying island far from
the urban core, and absolutely serene on this weekday autumn
morning.
I rose to the surface, took off my weight belt and hoisted myself back up
to the burning hot deck of the fishing boat.
“See anything interesting?” the captain asked.
“Yeah! I saw this sea-urchin-like creature that has short yellow spikes,
hiding under little bits of algae.”
Sa daam ( 沙 膽 )
75
The name of the sea urchin was sa daam in Cantonese. Throughout the field
trip, while I waited for my labmates to complete the underwater
experiment, I would ask him for the names of various marine organisms I
chanced on during my snorkeling adventures, and he always had a name for
me. The corals beneath our boat were “flat-brain” corals, those in checkered
formations were “beehive” corals, and those that looked like deer horns
were “staghorn” coral. He didn’t have a scientific name to provide for me
and told me the fishermen slang term for each animal instead, but it felt
more personal that way, like I was being taught a secret language.
“My English is not good,” he explained. “I never finished secondary school.
I only knew their names because I grew up in a fishing village—Sam Mun
Tsai, the one our boat departed from this morning.”
Sam Mun Tsai ( 三 門 仔 )
76
The driver spoke of his childhood free-diving for scallops, and how his
adolescent self would fish underwater breathing air pumped down from
the surface. As an adult, he made his living by being a bus driver, but
occasionally picked up boat-driving gigs in his spare time.
“It’s great that you can study marine conservation and learn more about
the seas here,” He said in the middle of the field trip, referencing my
marine biology major, “At your age, I didn’t study hard enough to go to
college, but it didn’t matter, because I had to work and support my
family anyways.”
Despite his lack of formal education, he knew multitudes about our
local seas, in stark contrast to my ignorance of Hong Kong marine life.
Studying in California, I was familiar with sunburst anemones, kelp
forests and sea otters, and could tell you everything about trophic
cascades and ecological theories, but I knew so little about my
homeland’s waters. Why did I venture across the Pacific Ocean in
pursuit of a marine biology degree without even looking in the waters in
my backyard?
After that field trip, I decided to enroll in a community science volunteer
program established by a local non-profit conservation organization.
They were recruiting divers to help take photos of transects laid out over
coral reefs at a marine park. I had not SCUBA-dived in four years, but I
was desperate to learn more about the biodiversity of Hong Kong.
Before getting to dive, we had to attend a briefing session about the
corals of our city.
“Hong Kong has 84 coral species within our tiny territory, which is more
than that of the entire Carribean Sea,” The lecturer said. “However, Hong
Kong waters are a stressful environment for corals to live in.”
Located at the edge of the tropics, Hong Kong waters become a little
chilly for corals. Aside from low temperatures, the destruction of coastal
habitats by overfishing, dredging, reclamation and sewage discharge
wiped out 80% of the corals in Hong Kong’s Tolo Channel in the 1980s.
I sighed. This sounded more like the Hong Kong I was familiar with.
Even though the field site I visited with my internship was quite pristine,
my city was imprinted in my brain as a land of contaminants. I
remember the countless times where I would walk by the harbour where
small fishing boats and yachts mingled over the glistening, filmy
seawater, and smell the most curious odor of fish mixed with gasoline. I
recalled hiking up to a viewpoint over a secluded beach, and seeing the
sand absolutely obscured by plastic trash with labels ranging from
Mandarin, Vietnamese, and Cantonese.
77
But things are taking a turn for the better. Sewage discharge became
regulated, and recently, researchers have been coaxing the recovery of these
corals by outplanting coral recruits in parts of the Tolo Channel, with a
restoration success rate of 80%.
“Despite all the stressors, both natural and human-caused, these hardy
corals have survived the odds and are thriving in their current situation,”
the lecturer announced. “Don’t give up on Hong Kong corals!”
*
I bit into my SCUBA regulator and let the air out of my buoyancy control
device, letting gravity pull me and my oxygen tank down. We descended
towards the coral restoration project, a large metal structure that stuck out
from the seafloor.
Baby staghorn coral grew entwined with metal poles, reaching up towards
the light at the surface. Shrimps crawled in and out of sight, hiding within
the corals as a refuge. Tiny fish swarmed around the coral polyps, nibbling
at bits of algae. The restored corals provided the structure needed to house
so many creatures. Thanks to the work of marine scientists and divers, they
managed to nurture so much abundance.
Two contradicting images of Hong Kong constantly flit about my head. One
is a land of hopelessness, a wasteland that offered me nothing and a place I
would do well to get far away from. The other is a land of hidden surprises,
which revealed its full glory and abundance if you cared to look.
And if I wanted to preserve the beauty around me, I had to give the latter
image a chance. But nothing can be taken for granted. I had to give Hong
Kong a chance even when things don’t look right, just like how the
restorationists nurtured these corals to grow in this stressful environment.
Wandy Cheng
Pages of Hong Kong
Illustration
78
79
80
81
82
Wandy Cheng
Toronto, Canada
After being uprooted from Hong Kong since I was 10, I travelled back to
the city periodically throughout my teenage years and early adulthood.
These sketchbook spreads were drawn when I visited during different
seasons in 2016 and 2018. As an illustration student at the time, I was
enthusiastic about documenting every aspect of my travel, practicing
perspective and composition with urban sketching. It wasn’t until
recent years that I connected the dots between my artistic style with my
upbringing in an urban landscape unique to Hong Kong, gradually
unpacking how it shaped my identity from an early age. Looking back
in 2021, these chaotic snapshots feel like a soothing, calming balm
against the true chaos of reality today.
About Wandy Cheng wandycheng.com @wandy_cheng
Wandy Cheng (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist from Hong Kong
currently based in Toronto, Canada. Her studio work embodies
contrasting textures and repeated patterns both on paper and with clay.
Her artistic practice is an exploration of the interactions between
interior spaces and exterior facades. Particularly, she is interested in
how lived experiences are shaped within the confines of physical
environments. Wandy is also passionate about art and culture, and has
experience working a number of years at a public arts organization to
help bring community-engaged installations to life.
83
84
Christina Young
Let’s go yum cha!
3D render
Christina Young
New York, USA
Carts are piled high with steaming hot dishes and pushed by old ladies
that aggressively call you leng lui [ 靚 女 ] / leng jai [ 靚 仔 ] to persuade you
to buy something from their cart. You and your cousin are given the
stamp card to hunt down the coveted ha cheong [ 虾 肠 ] since it's always
sold out by the time the cart gets to your table. When it comes time to
get the bill, war breaks out between the elders as they fight over who gets
to pay. But big auntie already "went to the bathroom" 20 mins ago and
beat everyone to the punch.
About Christina Young thebaobae.com @thebaobaeshop
Christina is a 3rd generation Chinese American from Queens, NYC.
She's an illustrator, 3D artist, and creator of The Bao Bae, an online shop
dedicated to sharing and encouraging cultural pride. She designs
stickers, pins, apparel, and more, inspired by growing up Asian.
85
86
Christina Young
豆 豉 鯪 魚
3D render
87
歲 月
在 我 的 童 年 的 时 候
上 海 是 一 个 蝈 蝈 笼
我 在 她 的 怀 里 睡 着
十 六 年 后 终 于 醒 了
在 我 的 青 年 的 时 候
上 海 是 一 生 的 下 游
出 国 的 时 刻 在 手 前
我 脱 离 了 沪 的 桎 梏
二 十 一 岁 的 我 旅 英
在 地 下 餐 厅 食 韩 餐
嘴 里 的 烟 令 我 念 沪
肚 里 的 酒 令 我 悲 伤
二 十 二 岁 的 我 係 港
我 告 诉 她 : 我 愛 你
维 港 复 : 我 也 愛 你
最 終 無 再 次 见 到 佢
依 家 嘅 我 再 次 归 港
我 问 她 : 咱 有 多 久
我 唔 係 逃 逸 的 勾 留
我 唔 係 永 远 的 家 乡
Now and Then
When I was a child
Shanghai was a cicada cage.
I fell asleep in her arms.
Finally I woke up sixteen years later.
When I was young
Shanghai was downstream from my life.
The time to go abroad was in arms reach.
I broke free of the shackles of Shanghai.
When I was twenty-one years old in England
I ate Korean food in an underground restaurant.
The smoke in my mouth made me miss Shanghai.
The wine in my stomach commands despair.
When I was twenty-two years old in Hong Kong.
I told her: I love you.
The Harbour replied: I love you too.
And I never saw her again.
Now I have returned to Hong Kong once more
I asked her: how long do we have?
I am not a stopover for your escape
I am not a forever home
88
Brandon Chu
Hong Kong
I wrote this poem in Chinese first - mixing both Mandarin and
Cantonese since I grew up as a Canadian in Shanghai but with a
Cantonese family. With the message I was trying to convey, it just
seemed natural, though it may be a little awkward to read. This mostly
talks about wanting to be away, getting away, coming back, and not
feeling like you belong and the experience many of us have of finding
community while overseas.
About Brandon Chu
@brxndonbrandoff
Primarily a photographer and illustrator I also do some writing on the
side, especially since returning to Hong Kong from Toronto. My writing
in terms of content and delivery takes a lot of inspiration from
Palestinian poetry, which deal a lot with Love, Land and Loss. I think
that is something a lot of us can relate to.
89
One of the ways that I
reconcile with my Cantonese
American identity is going
back to things in my
childhood. This piece is of
Chinatown, and reminds me
of the many stores I would go
to, with my mom and dad. As
an adult, I've realized that
these small businesses were
places where my parents
could feel accepted and less
foreign in a Western country.
These stores aren't the most
modern looking stores but
they serve so much to the
community, that I wanted to
celebrate them; I want to
preserve them and share
them.
Brenda Chi
Brenda Chi
Between Hill & Broadway, Chinatown LA
Digital illustration
Brendachi.com @brendachiart
Landscapes of Blood and Smoke 血 煙 山 水 圖
The two poems I present capture the range of my Cantonese-
American experience through the collective trauma and intimate
mundanity of daily life. Subtle and explicit violences are inflicted
upon the Asian diaspora at the same time that magnificent
childhood memories are created. A child can melt into the
cigarette smoke of San Francisco's Chinatown while his mother
is being gunned down next door. As I wrote these poems, I kept in
mind the generations of Asian diaspora – Taishanese railroad
workers, Korean business owners, Japanese veterans, my parents
– who have given their lives, literally and figuratively, for the
prosperity of their children.
Masters of Chinatown
The great courtyard, humble meeting-ground
of strategists and gossipers––gray-capped elders.
Two men smoke chess pieces on ashtrays and
command cigarettes on stone tables.
The air puffs with red-gold effervescence,
Wisps of tobacco and discursive silence.
Old men surround these generals, one hand cradling
the hip and the other clenching
Either folded newspapers
or lottery tickets.
The occasional child—me—
joins them, stroking my thin gray beard.
Inhaling the second-hand
erudition of their crudeness,
I analyze the battlefield and break
the only rule of observation:
I remark and strategize from
the backseat of this
92
War chariot.
These peasant warlords and
Unstudied sages––
The exiled Harbin poet,
The southern revolutionary,
my grandfather the cobbler––
Are all gods in my little descendant eyes.
How to Deal with a Virus: Fever of the Yellowish Sort
shoot me deader than dead,
a finger gun flashing white:
POW!
i look so cute clinging cold
to stained pavement;
even the headlines say EIGHT
EXOTIC DOCILE CORPSES;
american cities american drool,
killer fed up and we deserved it, where
do we belong what do we have to give
to belong,
even with blood on the tracks
& blood in Germany
& blood in California
& blood in Georgia,
you eat our food
in our enclaves
and hunt us down
like deer & whore, but it is
okay because
it could be worse.
About Yui Jit Kwong
Born in Hong Kong and raised throughout the US, I now study at
the University of Toronto where I spend more time writing than
working. I hope we can all just get along.
93
94
Karen Kar Yen Law
Toronto, Canada
Karen Kar Yen Law (she/her) is a first generation Cantonese Chinese-
Canadian who lives and practices in Tkaronto (Toronto), Ontario. Law
is a recent graduate from Queen’s University with a BFA (Honours) and
BEd. Upon graduation, she was awarded the Andre Bieler Prize for the
achievement of the highest performance in studio work. Her dual
background in visual art and education has informed an artistic practice
that is centered around reflection, discovery, and dialogue specifically
around topics of race and culture. Law’s practice utilizes printmaking
and painting to create two-dimensional abstract works. Law’s work has
been exhibited online and throughout Katarokwi (Kingston), Ontario
including the Union Gallery, the Isabel Bader Centre for Performing
Arts, and the 12 Cat Arts Collective.
Karen Kar Yen Law ( 她 ) 是 第 一 代 粵 裔 加 拿 大 華 僑 , 現 於 安 大 略 省 多 倫
多 居 住 及 工 作 。 她 從 女 王 大 學 畢 業 , 取 得 藝 術 ( 榮 譽 ) 學 士 及 教 育 學
士 學 位 , 畢 業 時 獲 頒 Andre Bieler Prize, 以 表 揚 她 在 工 作 室 藝 術 的 優
秀 表 現 。 視 覺 藝 術 和 教 育 的 雙 重 背 景 造 就 了 她 的 藝 術 模 式 , 其 作 品 就
種 族 及 文 化 等 議 題 作 出 反 思 、 探 索 及 對 話 。 她 透 過 版 畫 印 刷 及 繪 畫 ,
創 作 抽 象 的 二 維 作 品 。 她 的 作 品 曾 在 網 上 及 安 大 略 省 京 士 頓
Katarokwi 展 出 , 當 中 包 括 Union Gallery、Isabel Bader Centre for
Performing Arts 及 12 Cat Arts Collective。
karenkylaw.com
@karenkylaw
95
Most of your work is
abstract, but you have
been experimenting
with representational
elements in your
recent work. How do
you decide when you
want to marry those
two elements or use
one over the other?
你 一 般 都 是 創 作 抽 象 作
品 , 但 近 期 則 嘗 試 在 作
品 加 入 具 象 性
(representational) 的 元
素 。 你 是 怎 樣 決 定 要 雙
管 齊 下 , 還 是 二 選 其
一 ?
I find painting abstractly
has allowed me to create
works that are visually
palatable and can pique
interest in a large range
of viewers. I think the
result of my artistic
practice is what looks to
be abstract because I am
not often concerned with
the viewer’s (or my own)
need to recognize my
source images. When I
am mark making,
making artistic
interventions, or
deciding what materials
to use, I hope to
metaphor the real
processes of race and
discrimination in
Canada.
以 抽 象 的 方 式 繪 畫 , 可 以 讓 我 創 作 視 覺 上 較 易 入 口 的 作 品 , 令 更 廣 泛 的 觀
眾 感 興 趣 。 我 認 為 我 的 藝 術 模 式 看 似 抽 象 , 因 為 我 不 理 會 觀 眾 ( 或 是 自
己 ) 能 否 認 出 圖 片 來 源 。 當 我 隨 便 畫 畫 , 作 出 藝 術 介 入 , 或 決 定 用 甚 麼 物
料 時 , 我 都 希 望 可 以 隱 喻 加 拿 大 種 族 歧 視 的 真 實 過 程 。
Karen Kar Yen Law
Family Meal
Acrylic and oil on canvas
98
Karen Kar Yen Law
Leave
Acrylic and oil on canvas
99
What is the idea behind the title of your series, Unassimilable?
Unassimilable 系 列 的 名 稱 背 後 有 甚 麼 構 思 ?
In this project, I am capturing specifically the stereotypes and sentiments
that have followed Asian diasporic peoples in the West. Since the
immigration of Chinese labourers to Canada and the US, Chinese people
have been labeled as sneaky, immoral, docile, dirty people.
Assimilation has been a word I have reflected on for a very long time. In
Canada, we have official policies on multiculturalism. From a young age in
school, we are taught diversity is strength and our country is a cultural
mosaic as opposed to America where immigrants must assimilate into
dominant American culture like a melting pot.
One of the main sources I used for this project was an 1879 cover of Canada
Illustrated News. The cartoon shows a tall, bearded man, wearing a tall hat
and suit holding (or pushing) a small Chinese man with a long face and
Karen Kar Yen Law
Working Hard
Acrylic and oil on canvas
braided hair. The white man in the
cartoon is Amor De Cosmos, a
prominent politician of the time in
British Columbia. Below the
cartoon, some text provides a better
understanding of the altercation
being shown:
THE HEATHEN CHINEE IN
BRITISH COLUMBIA.
AMOR DE COSMOS, i.e.:—The
Love of the World or the Lover of
Mankind.
Heathen Chinee:— Why you sendee
me offee?
A.D.C.:—Because you can’t or won’t
‘assimilate’ with us.
Heathen Chinee:— What is datee?
A.D.C.:—You won’t drink whiskey,
and talk politics and vote like us.
這 項 目 反 映 離 散 西 方 的 亞 裔 人 士 所
遭 遇 的 刻 板 印 象 及 觀 點 。 自 從 華 裔
勞 工 移 民 加 拿 大 及 美 國 , 華 人 都 被
標 籤 為 偷 偷 摸 摸 、 不 道 德 、 溫 順 及
骯 髒 的 人 。
我 反 思 了 「 同 化 」 這 個 詞 語 一 段 時
間 。 加 拿 大 對 多 元 文 化 實 行 官 方 政
策 , 我 們 從 小 就 在 學 校 被 灌 輸 多 元
化 是 一 種 力 量 、 我 們 的 國 家 是 「 文
化 馬 賽 克 」, 不 像 美 國 的 「 文 化 大
熔 爐 」, 需 要 將 移 民 同 化 、 融 入 美
國 主 流 文 化 。
這 項 目 的 一 個 主 要 圖 片 來 源 是
Canadian Illustrated News 於 1879
年 刊 登 的 一 個 封 面 。 該 卡 通 描 繪 了
一 個 高 個 子 、 長 了 鬍 子 、 戴 高 帽 、
穿 西 裝 的 男 人 , 他 在 碰 ( 或 是 在
推 ) 一 個 長 臉 、 留 辮 子 的 華 人 。 那
卡 通 描 繪 的 白 人 是 Amor De
Cosmos, 卑 詩 省 當 時 一 位 舉 足 輕
重 的 政 治 人 物 。 下 圖 正 是 那 卡 通 ,
附 上 文 字 讓 兩 人 的 爭 執 內 容 更 清 晰
:
卑 詩 省 的 異 教 中 國 人
AMOR DE COSMOS : 世 界 的 愛 還
是 人 類 的 情 人
異 教 中 國 人 : 你 為 甚 麼 要 我 走 ?
A.D.C.: 因 為 你 不 可 以 也 不 會 同 化
成 我 們 一 樣 。 異 教 中 國 人 : 為 甚 麼
這 樣 說 ?
異 教 中 國 人 : 為 甚 麼 這 樣 說 ?
A.D.C.: 你 不 會 跟 我 們 一 樣 喝 威 士
忌 、 討 論 政 治 和 投 票 。
102
When I read the accompanying text
for the cartoon, I was immediately
struck by the choice of the word
assimilate. Despite our country’s
contemporary take on
multiculturalism, the foundation of
this country is obviously racist
because it colonized a native
population, then strategically
promoted the settlement of white
Europeans. In the cartoon, De
Cosmos is frustrated by the inability
for the Chinese population to
assimilate. While historically this
sentiment was used against Chinese
immigrants to justify their treatment
and the policies that would
eventually prevent their entry to the
country all together, today Chinese
immigrants are praised for their
adaptability as shown in the model
minority myth. In my own
experience, I have struggled with
assimilation, feeling like I need to
trade in parts of myself to fit into
what is expected of me by my white
peers. Growing up, I accepted being
called a banana as a compliment but
now I see myself as unassimilable. I
refuse to trade in or compromise any
part of myself for a white settler
colonial project.
我 閱 讀 卡 通 旁 的 文 字 時 , 同 化 一 詞
即 時 給 我 留 下 印 象 。 雖 然 我 們 國 家
現 時 走 多 元 文 化 主 義 , 這 國 家 的 根
本 很 明 顯 是 充 滿 種 族 歧 視 的 , 她 殖
民 了 原 居 民 , 之 後 還 策 略 性 地 推 動
歐 洲 白 人 定 居 在 此 。De Cosmos 在
這 卡 通 裡 , 對 華 人 不 能 同 化 感 到 困
擾 。 雖 然 這 觀 點 以 往 加 諸 於 華 裔 移
民 身 上 , 是 為 了 合 理 化 其 待 遇 及 阻
止 他 們 進 入 這 國 家 的 政 策 , 但 今 天
華 裔 移 民 則 因 為 適 應 能 力 高 而 被 推
舉 , 模 範 少 數 這 迷 思 也 反 映 了 這 一
點 。 我 的 自 身 經 歷 中 , 也 對 同 化 也
有 所 掙 扎 , 感 覺 好 像 要 放 棄 自 己 的
一 部 分 , 換 取 白 人 同 儕 對 我 的 期
望 。 成 長 時 , 我 將 黃 皮 白 心 當 作 讚
賞 , 但 現 在 我 認 為 自 己 不 能 夠 被 同
化 。 我 不 願 意 換 走 或 折 衷 自 己 的 一
部 分 , 成 為 定 居 在 此 的 白 人 的 殖 民
計 畫 。
Karen Kar Yen Law
Don’t Cause Trouble (page 104)l
Acrylic and oil on canvas
Unassimilable draws upon
Canadian archival images from
the late 19th century. What is your
experience working in archives?
What is your process for selecting
images that resonate with you?
Unassimilable 取 材 於 19 世 紀 後 期 的
加 拿 大 舊 檔 圖 片 。 用 舊 檔 創 作 是 怎
樣 的 經 歷 ? 你 是 怎 樣 選 取 能 夠 令 你
有 所 共 鳴 的 圖 片 ?
During this project, I received
guidance from Dr. Joan M. Schwartz,
who is a specialist in photographic
archives and 19th century landscape
photography in Canada. The
intersections of our research
interests allowed Dr. Schwartz to
guide me through using the online
archives and images. Using keyword
searches and applying the
appropriate date filters I was able to
come across images related to the
Chinese diaspora in Canada. I
gathered many images, but
ultimately chose images for my
artwork that I felt displayed
sentiments that are still prevalent
today.
The Canadian Illustrated News
cartoon highlights stereotypical
depictions of Chinese immigrants
that are still recycled till this day. An
image of a Chinese fisherman in the
mid 20th century to me captures
ideas of labour and capital that even
our own communities have yet to
fully unpack. The idea that putting
our heads down and working to
accumulate wealth will somehow
free us from the oppression we
experience.
And finally, an image of a Chinese
family’s dining table. I have no
information on what occasion would
call for such an image of a set table
with food to be documented, but it
reminded me of my own mother’s
obsessive need to take pictures of
food during our holidays before we
eat. A Chinese family’s table set with
food documented nearly 100 years
ago is a reminder that food is not just
survival - it is joy and celebration.
我 在 這 個 項 目 得 到 Joan M. Schwartz
博 士 的 指 導 , 她 是 加 拿 大 舊 圖 片 檔
案 及 19 世 紀 風 景 攝 影 的 專 家 。 我 們
的 研 究 興 趣 有 所 相 似 , 所 以
Schwartz 博 士 可 以 透 過 網 上 檔 案 庫
及 圖 片 指 導 我 。 利 用 關 鍵 詞 搜 尋 ,
並 以 適 當 的 日 期 過 濾 結 果 , 便 可 以
找 到 有 關 在 加 拿 大 的 華 人 離 散 群 眾
的 圖 片 。 我 搜 集 了 很 多 圖 片 , 但 最
終 我 只 選 用 內 容 至 今 還 很 普 遍 的 圖
片 來 創 作 。
The Canadian Illustrated News 卡 通
描 繪 了 對 華 裔 移 民 的 刻 板 印 象 , 而
這 些 印 象 至 今 還 存 在 。 一 幅 二 十 世
紀 中 葉 描 繪 華 裔 漁 民 的 圖 片 , 對 我
來 說 反 映 了 勞 工 跟 金 錢 的 概 念 , 埋
首 工 作 、 累 積 財 富 似 乎 會 將 我 們 遭
受 到 的 壓 迫 中 解 放 出 來 , 而 這 些 概
念 我 們 的 群 體 至 今 還 未 完 全 理 解 。
最 後 是 一 個 華 裔 家 庭 的 飯 桌 的 圖
片 。 我 也 沒 有 資 料 解 釋 是 甚 麼 場
合 , 才 會 拍 照 紀 錄 了 這 張 放 滿 食 物
的 餐 桌 。 這 照 片 是 約 100 年 前 拍 下
的 , 它 提 醒 了 我 們 食 物 不 只 是 讓 我
們 活 命 , 也 是 快 樂 和 慶 賀 的 象 徵 。
103
104
105
You describe that your images are
reproduced and brought into the
conversation with your own
relationship with the Chinese
Diaspora. Can you speak more
about that relationship?
你 形 容 你 的 圖 片 是 重 製 的 , 而 且 讓
你 反 思 自 己 跟 華 裔 離 散 經 歷 的 關
係 , 可 以 解 釋 一 下 這 種 關 係 嗎 ?
My mother and father are
immigrants to Canada from Hong
Kong. Prior to their lives in Hong
Kong, both my mother’s and father’s
families originated from the
Guangdong province in China.
When I consider my relationship to
the Chinese diaspora, I contemplate
the conditions of my family’s
dispersal from China, I contemplate
my relationship to the homeland,
and I contemplate my relationship to
the hostland.
one rooted in white supremacy and
capitalism, and when I side with the
Indigenous struggle for
decolonization, I am in fact aligning
myself with anti-racism and
reciprocity. In short, my relationship
to the Chinese diaspora is
complicated. I do not have an
idealization of a return to my
homeland; however I am not satisfied
by the Canadian state.
I primarily consider China, and more
specifically the province of
Guangdong to be my homeland. My
family’s Cantonese culture originates
from Guangdong, and we have strong
ancestral ties there. Like the workers
from Guangdong who migrated to
Gum San (Gold Mountain) in search
of prosperity, my family experiencing
extreme poverty in the wake of the
Cultural Revolution migrated from
China to Hong Kong, and then to
Canada. My family’s movements
motivated by prosperity have
informed how I relate to my
hostland. Canada is a settler-colonial
state; as a settler, I live on stolen land
and am complicit in colonization.
While I acknowledge my complicity,
I also know that the Canadian state is
106
我 主 要 認 為 中 國 , 尤 其 是 廣 東 省 , 是
我 的 祖 國 。 我 家 族 的 粵 文 化 源 自 廣
東 , 我 們 很 重 視 祖 先 根 源 。 像 廣 東 的
移 居 到 舊 金 山 尋 找 財 富 的 工 人 , 我 的
家 族 在 文 化 大 革 命 初 期 也 非 常 貧 窮 ,
於 是 從 中 國 移 居 至 香 港 , 最 後 遷 往 加
拿 大 。 我 家 族 的 遷 徙 是 基 於 經 濟 原
因 , 這 也 影 響 我 跟 移 入 國 的 關 係 。 加
拿 大 是 定 居 殖 民 國 家 , 我 也 是 一 個 定
居 在 此 的 人 , 我 住 在 偷 來 的 土 地 上 ,
跟 殖 民 者 同 流 合 污 。 雖 然 我 承 認 自 己
在 此 的 角 色 , 我 也 明 白 加 拿 大 是 建 基
於 白 人 至 上 主 義 和 資 本 主 義 的 國 家 ,
當 我 支 持 原 住 民 去 殖 民 化 時 , 我 其 實
也 在 支 持 反 種 族 主 義 及 互 惠 對 等 關
係 。 簡 單 來 說 , 我 跟 華 裔 離 散 經 歷 的
關 係 很 複 雜 。 我 沒 期 望 返 回 祖 籍 國 ,
但 我 也 不 滿 意 加 拿 大 。
Karen Kar Yen Law
Heathen Chinee
Silkscreen on rice paper
107
Karen Kar Yen Law
Heathen Chinee
Silkscreen on rice paper
Your works are elaborate layers of
both printmaking and painting,
and the results are starkly unique
images that transcend a single
genre. Yet, bold and
experimental color relationships
exist throughout all your work.
How did you develop this style?
你 的 作 品 以 多 層 次 的 版 畫 印 刷 和 繪
畫 來 製 作 , 成 果 非 常 獨 特 , 而 且 跨
越 單 一 風 格 。 然 而 , 你 的 所 有 作 品
都 採 用 大 膽 、 富 實 驗 性 的 顏 色 , 你
是 怎 樣 建 立 這 種 風 格 的 ?
My training has a lot to do with the
development of my hybrid
printmaking and painting style. I
started as a painter and I still very
much enjoy the aesthetic and
technical aspects of paint
manipulation and experimental
paint applications. When I began
printmaking, I first began with
monoprinting on copper plates.
Technically speaking, this process is
very akin to painting. As I began to
work more with ink and other
printmaking media like silkscreen, it
became apparent that what I loved
about printmaking was the way
layers of colour could interact and
how easy gradients were to achieve.
Printmaking has allowed me to
experiment with colour theory in a
whole new way than just mixing
paint. I have a natural affinity
towards colour palettes that are high
in contrast and saturation. When I
used them in my practice, my hope is
that the colours will encourage
viewers to engage with the work.
我 的 訓 練 背 景 讓 我 發 展 了 這 種 版 畫
印 刷 和 繪 畫 的 合 成 風 格 。 我 以 畫 家
身 分 出 身 , 但 我 很 喜 歡 色 彩 操 作 和
實 驗 性 的 上 色 方 法 。 我 開 始 接 觸 版
畫 印 刷 時 , 首 先 嘗 試 銅 板 製 作 單 刷
版 畫 , 這 過 程 技 術 上 跟 繪 畫 很 相
似 。 而 當 我 接 觸 更 多 墨 彩 和 絲 網 印
刷 等 其 他 版 畫 印 刷 媒 介 後 , 我 發 現
自 己 喜 歡 版 畫 印 刷 是 因 為 不 同 層 次
的 顏 色 可 以 互 動 , 而 色 彩 的 漸 變 也
能 容 易 達 成 。
版 畫 印 刷 讓 我 以 全 新 方 式 將 色 彩 理
論 作 不 同 嘗 試 , 不 只 是 混 合 不 同 色
彩 。 我 本 身 很 喜 歡 高 對 比 及 高 飽 和
度 的 色 彩 。 我 希 望 透 過 採 用 這 些 色
彩 , 讓 觀 眾 投 入 作 品 。
How did you achieve the beautiful
mixed-media layering quality in
“Don’t Cause Trouble”? It almost
looks digital!
Don’t Cause Trouble 的 混 合 媒 體 層 次
感 是 怎 樣 做 的 ? 效 果 很 像 數 碼 製
作 。
I’ve never really thought to describe
my work as such, but I can see the
connection. I enjoy using geometric
shapes and clean masking
techniques that produce a clean-cut
quality like digital work. The letters
are not stenciled, but I have a
personal interest in lettering, so I am
flattered you suggest my work looks
digital.
我 沒 想 過 自 己 的 作 品 可 以 這 樣 形
容 , 但 我 可 以 看 到 兩 者 的 關 係 。 我
喜 歡 用 幾 何 圖 案 及 簡 潔 的 遮 色 手
法 , 創 作 出 像 數 碼 作 品 的 清 澈 俐 落
的 效 果 。 那 些 文 字 不 是 用 版 面 模 子
來 製 作 的 , 但 我 對 手 寫 文 字 感 興
趣 , 我 很 高 興 你 說 我 的 作 品 看 似 數
碼 製 作 。
110
What sort of pan-Asian or pan-Sino
solidarity movements exist in Toronto,
where you live? Where do you see the
role of art in organizing playing for
years to come?
多 倫 多 有 那 些 泛 亞 裔 或 泛 星 加 玻 團 結 運
動 ? 你 在 哪 裡 居 住 ? 你 認 為 藝 術 將 來 在 組
織 這 些 活 動 有 甚 麼 角 色 ?
The most notable Pan-Asian solidarity
organizations I follow in Toronto are Tea
Base and Butterfly. Teabase is a community
art space in Chinatown that advocates for
larger social justice movements and specific
Chinatown preserving actions. Butterfly is
an advocacy and support network for Asian
and migrant sex workers. Right now,
Butterfly is advocating to stop a provincial
bill that will expand police powers under
the guise combatting human trafficking.
When you ask about the role of art in
organizing my mind immediately jumps to
Toni Cade Bambara’s quote, “The role of the
artist is to make the revolution irresistible”.
As artists continue to lean into their
identity politics, I think artists will begin to
see that we are all working and creating in
solidarity to break down the systems that
politicize us.
在 我 留 意 的 多 倫 多 泛 亞 裔 團 結 組 織 中 , 最
值 得 一 提 的 是 Tea
Base 及
Butterfly。Teabase 是 在 唐 人 街 的 一 個 社 區
藝 術 空 間 , 提 倡 更 大 型 的 社 會 公 義 運 動 及
某 些 唐 人 街 保 育 行 動 。Butterfly 則 是 一 個
給 亞 裔 及 移 民 性 工 作 者 的 倡 導 及 支 援 網
絡 。Butterfly 現 時 正 反 對 一 項 省 級 議 案 ,
該 議 案 以 打 擊 人 口 販 運 為 名 , 增 加 警 權 。
你 問 及 藝 術 在 組 織 的 角 色 時 , 我 立 即 想 起
Toni Cade Bambara 的 話 ——「 藝 術 家 的 角
色 就 是 令 革 命 無 法 抗 拒 」。 只 要 藝 術 家 繼
續 投 身 他 們 的 身 分 認 同 政 治 , 我 認 為 藝 術
家 將 會 明 白 到 我 們 全 都 團 結 一 致 地 工 作 、
創 作 , 以 打 破 將 我 們 政 治 化 的 系 統 。
111
Cherie Kwok
To new chapters
Digital illustration
112
Cherie Kwok
Birmingham, UK
Inspired by the idea that a person’s life is split into different chapters, I
created this piece to reflect areas of my own life. My parents are both
from Hong Kong and they moved to England in the late 90s to settle in
the Forest of Dean where they started our family. Growing up seeing the
beautiful nature and scenery around our home in England, and also
experiencing the bustling atmosphere of Hong Kong, have been sources
of inspiration in my work. The doors represent me being able to access
the cultures that make up my identity. In the centre, is a figure which
represents me leaving home to pursue my dreams of studying
illustration at university.
About Cherie Kwok
cherie.kwok.co.uk
I am a British Born Chinese illustrator, who is currently studying at
Birmingham City University. I am drawn to roles that give back to
communities, and I strive to be an illustrator who makes a positive
difference. Working with others on exciting projects is something I
really enjoy doing. In the future, I would love to work in editorial, print,
and packaging, and I also wish to keep telling stories about my Chinese
heritage through my work.
"
113
The Players
「 燈 光 裡 飛 馳 失 意 的 孩 子 …」
- 達 明 一 派
The neon prisms of our postcard skyline collapse, one by one. Shards of
glass fly slow-motion across the screen like blown dandelions – like children
from the 80s dispatched across different oceans. This romanticizing of our
collective fate still lights my fire, still sends me sprinting across the city
collecting old scenes, new frames.
I’m back, thirty years removed, with a blend of love and vengeance that
weaves past pedestrians on a crowded footbridge on a Saturday night, just to
confront the harbour, the hazy tops of office towers with glowing
trademarks dripping gold onto dark waters. The sky punctured by the bank’s
ghostly-white needle.
I’m back.
To endure your posing the same pose year after year, blurring the patterns of
stars that spell out the people’s hopes. To endure your misrepresentation of
us on commercial souvenirs with stiff, sexless postures like the suited civil
servants who posed for photo the day they came back to announce the sale
of integrity, the return of prosperity, the restoration of national insecurity.
The kid you should have killed in ‘89 is back, with one foot outside the cage,
taking notes on your fears and the ways you shrivel.
I have my place amongst the players. We hover an inch above the pavement,
change colours under smog and streetlamps, dance to cassette tapes that
conceal the revolution with love songs. Sometimes we flicker. Sometimes we
burn and make tight turns onto new avenues, nursing each other’s wounds,
even if only to slow the collapse. Escape remains an option tonight, while
the party continues. She’s picked a purple dress for the occasion, and I’ve
dyed the blade of my left brow pink. Exuberant, in my new-found
expression, knowing I would have risked a lot more had I lived here all my
life.
114
Atom Cheung
Hong Kong
"The Players" is a prose poem from a book-in-progress which chronicles
my interactions with music by the Hong Kong pop duo 達 明 一 派 Tat
Ming Pair, whose music carry a subtle political undertone. The
Cantonese line quoted in the piece comes from their 1987 song 今 夜 星
光 燦 爛 . Tat Ming's music is what keeps me connected to Hong Kong
during my years living in Toronto between 1989 and 2009. My piece is
also a personal response to the 2019 Hong Kong protests and the
subsequent National Security Law in 2020.
About Atom Cheung atomcheung.com @atomscores
Atom Cheung writes poetry and love letters. He lives in Hong Kong
where he works as a radio presenter on RTHK. The experimental
podcast Atomic Heart is where he reads poems and daydreams out loud.
115
我 有 我 心 底 故 事
I have a story deep down in my heart
Classic Cantopop Recommendations
If you have ever been judged for listening to Cantopop, this tailored list
of classic songs reminds you to listen to your heart, soul, and spirit. You
are meant to tell your story because no one else will. Never be ashamed
of who you are and sing along with Beyond “ 我 有 我 心 底 故 事 ”!
1987 我 的 故 事 — 陳 百 強
1980 上 海 灘 — 葉 麗 儀
1986 當 年 情 — 張 國 榮
1989 夕 陽 之 歌 — 梅 艷 芳
1992 還 是 覺 得 你 最 好 — 張 學 友
1991 不 再 猶 豫 — Beyond
116
Pamela Kwong
New York, USA
I grew up listening to 80’s/90’s Cantopop songs and so, I selected six
songs that are a source of solace and wisdom. Although I have been
judged for listening to Cantopop, I hold onto my father’s stories of
browsing the latest Hong Kong records and cassette tapes in a NYC
Chinatown music store, which no longer exists. This nostalgia ties into
a particular time when Hong Kong entertainment was experiencing a
wave. The Cantonese diaspora is vast and scattered, but our songs
connect us back together. Our stories will live on if we keep sharing
them.
About Pamela Kwong
@pamonologues
Pamela Kwong is a Cantonese American artist of life. She writes, draws,
creates and binds journals. She is on a journey of exploring languages,
shaping up her voice, and finding ways to weave stories with words. In
her free time, she wanders around and goes down a rabbit hole of books,
songs, and coffee.
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118
Adrienne Hugh
I love oyster sauce
Digital manipulation
Adrienne Hugh
Hong Kong
The farther I have moved away from my cultural and ancestral home, the more
desperately I try to grasp at things that connect me to it. One of the more
visceral ways I do so is through food. The smells, flavors and colors bring me
such joy and immediate connections to home and are a crucial part of my
identity.
I love oyster sauce" is a series of four photos, which I combined together into
a single graphic.
The process for creating this piece was a pretty natural one – it started off as a
genuine interest and love for the sauce itself and the iconic packaging. Oyster
sauce is such a staple in Chinese cooking, and for me the Lee Kum Kee oyster
sauce is iconic. I decided to recreate the graphic on the bottle in the form of a
photograph – replacing the existing figure (the illustrated woman) and
placing myself as the subject of the graphic in the exact pose and style of the
original image. I think this does a number of things: 1. It draws the viewer's
attention to a very ordinary, everyday object, and draws the eye to an often
overlooked design element on the bottle. 2. The piece plays around with the
reality of the oyster sauce as an everyday household item that becomes much
more personalized. The oval frame around the photograph is also intentional
– mimicking the graphic on the original bottle, but with a contemporary twist.
Overall the piece is an homage to aesthetics and graphics of the bottle, and a
love letter to the product itself.
About Adrienne Hugh
adriennehugh.com
Adrienne Hugh (she/her) is a visual creative with an obsession for tea. Having
lived in the US, China and Hong Kong throughout her life, her creative
practice is a means by which she connects with the duality of her cultural
identities.
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Adrienne Hugh
Guanyin
Digital illustration
This piece depicts one of my
favorite statues at an outdoor
temple that I frequent whenever I
return to Hong Kong. The temple
is by the water and I always feel so
serene while I am there.
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121
金 鱼 婆 婆 Goldfish Granny
In this story, I reflect on the tender relationship I had with
a Cantonese woman who cared for me when I was young.
Goldfish Granny allowed me to feel comfortable in my
Cantonese heritage, something that I've always felt a bit
detached from. Even her name, when spoken with my
family, is a combination of Mandarin and Cantonese (we
say "goldfish" in Mandarin but "grandmother" in
Cantonese) and speaks to my identity as someone stuck
in a liminal space of these adjacent cultures. I hope to
continue making art and writing stories that explore the
complicated but hopeful relationship I have with being
Canto so I can connect with fellow Canto cuties and
deepen my understanding of our history and fight for
liberation.
I never learned her real name. She lived in a grand home
with a lacquered brown door and a fish tank brimming
with puffy red cichlids. Her floors were wooden and
glossy and I would lie on them for hours at a time,
thinking of ways I could speak to the fish. With
unblinking eyes, they’d approach me from behind the
glass and sing bubbles into the water, their pouts
opening and closing. 魚 , they said, 魚 , 魚 , 魚 . Wo, I’d
respond. Me, me, me.
After I learned how to introduce myself to them, I’d
spend the rest of the afternoons trailing Goldfish
Granny. While she tended to the weeds in her garden, I
searched for stones and hid the smoothest ones in her
pockets. That way, she wouldn’t miss me when I had to
go home for the day—it would plop out at bedtime and
she would know that I’d been thinking of her. I hoped
she knew this.
Most afternoons, she would tuck me into bed and brush
the hair from my eyes, letting the sunlight trickle onto
my lids as I fell asleep. After an hour, I’d wake to the
sound of the blender and the sweet smell of banana and
milk: her way of showing me she’d missed me too. After
sipping at the froth and then gulping down the rest, I’d
kiss the jade bracelet at the bedside table and join
Goldfish Granny at the front step. She’d help me slip into
a jacket while I fumbled with my shoelaces, glancing at
the fish as they laughed at my shoddy efforts. We’d walk
hand in hand to the grocery store a few blocks away,
sharing this bit of warmth as the sun sank lower into the
sky. I’d count the lines on the ground, gripping her hand
tight to hurdle myself over the larger cracks.
122
The first time we entered the market, the
fish were large and gray, and several were
crammed into a single rectangular tank.
They butt heads and slapped at one
another, mouths gaping and pleading,
but I couldn’t understand them.
Sometimes I’d cry, spluttering I don’t
know I don’t know! I didn’t know how to
end their misery so I would weep into
Granny’s stomach while pointing at
them. Maybe she knew how to comfort
them just as she knew more Cantonese,
knew how to make banana milk, knew
how to clean dirt beneath my fingernails
and how to say good child in a way that
made me feel like I was born from her
own blood. But she’d forgotten how to
speak to the sea the same year she left
home and moved into this land-locked
country. So, we rushed to the other aisles
and picked out lemon tea, sausages for
clay pot rice, green onions, and chicken
for soup. After shelling out a few bills,
she stuffed the leftover coins into my
pocket and we walked home in silence. I
counted out two quarters, a dime, and
three nickels: their weight the same as
the stones I collected for Goldfish
Granny.
When my parents arrived at nightfall, I
bid goodnight to the cichlids. I pressed
my hands to my cheeks, mirroring the
open-mouthed way they gawked at me,
and said 再 見 , 再 見 ! We’ll meet again.
For granny, I said I will miss you. On the
car ride home, I foraged my jean pockets
for the jangling coins, my treasure, and
instead fished out a smooth sliver of
granite. In wo, there is you. Ni, 你 , ni.
About Kristie Song
@chinesefreckles
Kristie Song is a Sino American writer,
artist, and journalist from Southern
California. She is often daydreaming
about childhood memories and likes to
create work from a space of nostalgia.
Her work is featured in Canto Cutie,
Ouch Magazine, and is forthcoming in
the Jack Straw Anthology.
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Lok
Cheung
House
by
PÚCA
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125
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Lok Cheung House is a zine I created in
June 2020 in collaboration with my friend,
David Kennedy. It was a response to a
tourist’s guidebook of Hong Kong I saw in
a book shop in Ireland that only focused
on and glamourised the most wealthy and
westernised districts of Hong Kong. These
depictions differ from what I remember of
the city when I visited my family in Hong
Kong.
I created this photo series with the
intention to show others how I see the
Hong Kong that I know, and design my
own version of a “tourist’s guidebook of
Hong Kong”. The photos in the zine were
taken from my way back from the Wong
Tai Sin area, where my grandma lives, to
Mong Kok, where I was staying at the time.
It is also a record of my personal journey in
attempting to reconnect with my Chinese
relatives in Hong Kong.
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129
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131
Being an Irish-born Chinese,
I've always felt a sense of
displacement in both societies,
constantly questioning which
society I identify with as I'm
seen as an “alien” in both
countries. The pressure to
comply with two different
cultures and beauty standards
led to self-loathing and
confusion. The language
barrier between my family and
I makes opening up about my
inner struggles non-existent.
The most apparent distinction
about me that Asian people
would immediately notice
would be my tattoos. A young,
moderately tattooed woman is
not socially acceptable and is
seen as a taboo. Self expression
is not encouraged and is
perceived as a nuisance.
Breaking the norms of society
has a toll on one’s mental
health as negative reactions
can sink deep and become a
personal burden.
I hope to use my work to
discuss the struggles of Asian
diaspora who were born into
Western society, and highlight
how the West still exploits
fragments of our ethnicity,
culture and tradition.
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About PÚCA
puca.myportfolio.com @im_puca
Born and raised in Waterford city, Ireland, PÚCA is a self taught graphic
designer. PÚCA likes to keep things clean and bold, so she uses pencil
with marker or ink, then uses Photoshop to complete her designs.
PÚCA now freelances in Cork city and likes to explore different forms of
crafts like photography.
In 2019, PÚCA had a solo exhibition at Alchemy cafe, Cork city, took
part in a zine fair in St. Peter’s church, Cork city, and had a stall at
“Cofeté”, a music event in Cork city. In 2020 she completed her first zine
“Lok Cheung house” in collaboration with her friend.
PÚCA’s inspiration comes from her inner child, 1930’s cartoons, graffiti
and tattoo culture.
PÚCA believes in an inclusive approach to art where all forms of art
should be celebrated, and that there are no limitations in imagination.
PÚCA hopes to keep learning and sharing her journey of self creativity.
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Tsz Kam
Waterworks II
Acrylic on cotton rag mounted on panel
When I was a child, I
lived in a small public
housing unit with my
grandparents and my
uncle in the Wong Tai
Sin district in Hong
Kong. I shared a room
with
my
grandmother and my
uncle. My uncle slept
on the upper bunk
and I slept on the
lower bunk with my
grandmother. My
grandfather smoked
incessantly, so no one
wanted to share a
room with him. There
were a lot of things in
our bedroom, plastic
bags stacked on top
of plastic boxes.
There was a window
behind it all, I might
have climbed up the
mountain of stuff to
look out of it a few
times. The view was
just the residential
building opposite to
ours. The buildings were white and pastel orange and they were all
the same. I imagine the people from the other side got the same view
when they looked out of their windows.
We had more stuff than what we stacked against the window. We
also had other things stored temporarily on our beds during
daytime. My uncle had an impressive collection of vintage toys and
comic books, most of it were these really well designed vintage
matchbox cars made in Japan by the famous toymaker Tomy and the
various McDonald’s Happy Meal toys from the Hong Kong line
throughout the years. Grandma just had a bunch of clothing from
when both of her oldest daughters immigrated to America. They
were going to be my hand-me-downs when I fit, or so she told
everyone. Every night around ten, we’d start moving the boxes from
our bunk beds to the dining table. After taking a hot shower and
washing off the grime that stuck to my skin due to the humid
weather, I’d climb onto the lower bunk. If my uncle didn’t have too
much work (his actual work plus coming up with the perfect combo
for his weekend horse betting), he’d read me a bedtime story. He
bought me a collection of illustrated Aesop’s Fables and other
animal stories that he’d read from. When grandma was done with
her chores in the kitchen, she’d come to bed and pat me as she sang
me lullabies.
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I slept between the wall and my
grandma. There was no space
between the wall and the bed
because the bed was custom built
in by my second aunt’s husband,
who is an interior designer and
carpenter. The wall was cool,
offering relief from the oppressive
heat in the long, humid summer.
I’d often stretch my leg up against
the wall to absorb the chill.
During the summer, instead of
cotton sheets, we slept on bamboo
mats. When I woke up, I’d find
ghosts of the crisscross imprints
on my skin from the bamboo
weave.
Sometimes I’d wake in the middle
of the night for the bathroom. I’d
usually stay in bed for a good
while, struggling between the
need to pee and not wanting to
get up. You see, the pile against
the window made strange figures
and silhouettes in the dark,
sometimes flickers of light
reflected from somewhere looked
like an eye, or I’d imagine a face, or
a pile that began to look like a
figure moving. When I really
couldn’t suppress my need to pee,
I’d climb over my grandma,
careful not to wake her, and put
my warm little feet upon the icy
ceramic tile. If it’s around 1:30
AM, I’d find a tall, slender
silhouette walking to the
bathroom too. It was my
grandfather getting out of his
room to shower before bed.
Grandpa went to bed the latest
and woke up later than all of us. I
think it’s because all his favorite
shows from the English channel
came on late, and he had to watch
it all before he went to sleep. I
didn’t particularly like the living
room at night because we had an
altar. The altar was lit by a few red
light bulbs, which made the dark
living room quite ominous. The
altar also directly faced the front
door, which made it look like
something was about to come
through under this low, red glow.
If I wanted to use the bathroom, I
had to walk right past the altar.
My grandma always told me the
altar was good, we venerated our
ancestors, the god of land, and
the god of justice; they were there
to watch over us and give us good
fortune. Every time I walked past
the bathroom at night, I’d mutter
under my breath a small “ 唔 該 借
歪 ” / “excuse me”. I didn’t want to
offend these important figures
with my nightly urination. If I
was too scared after peeing to
make the trip back to my spot
between the wall and my
grandma, I’d quickly run into my
grandpa’s room and watch TV
with him until I felt brave enough
to go into the living room again.
——
This was a recollection I wrote in
early 2020 for my painting Silent
Witness’s Triumph. The painting
depicts two beastial entities as
one single grotesque figure. One
entity is a pegasus and the other
is some kind of bovine. I took
inspiration from the Chinese
mythology about how seven days
after someone’s death, Ox-Head
and Horse-Face will escort their
spirit home for one last meal
prepared by their family. Ox-
Head and Horse-Face always
come in a pair, and are seen as
agents of the underworld in
Chinese folk religion, a very
popular belief system that still
permeates Hong Kong culture.
Silent Witness was the name of a
thoroughbred champion sprinter
in the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Early in its career in 2003, many
HKers were very proud of this
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race horse’s international fame,
and seeing Silent Witness win at
international races brought much
joy to HKers during the post 2003
SARS pandemic period. Horse
betting, just like any other other
gambling activities in Hong Kong,
is also shrouded in superstition. I
believe that we thought after such
a period of bad luck with the
pandemic, Silent Witness
represented hope as a cultural
icon.
Stories of superstitious myths
scared me as a child but I also had
a sort of fascination and
unquestioned reverence for the
figures in these myths, an attitude
that continues in my adulthood.
Even though I have moved to
Texas for over a decade, these
superstitions still have some
small power over me and the way
I think. Since early 2020, I’ve
become more and more
interested in the grotesque and
monsters as art subjects in my
personal work. My long time
friend and artistic collaborator,
Nat Power (@natpowertat), began
her apprenticeship as a tattoo
artist in 2019 and has since then
been sharing her various
knowledge about tattooing with
me. Although I’ve never been
interested in getting tattoos and
still am not, I’ve begun to expand
my appreciation for tattoos as art.
Before the Covid pandemic, I
used to visit Nat at the tattoo
parlor she worked at and spent
time with her there, sometimes
listening in on Ray, Nat’s mentor,
coaching her on drawing
methods.
Ray
(@flawless.wallace.tattoos) is the
owner of the tattoo parlor and a
tattoo artist of Indonesian
descent. Nat and her mentor
shared with me the history of
tattooing in different indigenous
cultures around the world. One
time Ray even showed me a dice
game tattoo artists often played
amongst themselves, and told
me the game was probably
brought to America by Chinese
sailors in the 1800s. After
learning this, I started doing
some research on my own and
discovered that tattooing was
also a cultural practice by the
Baiyue peoples, the group of
peoples who some Cantonese
and Vietnamese people are
originally descended from before
they were sinocized by the Han.
As a person with a pretty
traditional Hong Kong
upbringing, I still don’t feel the
urge to get tattoos myself, but I
have begun to incorporate some
of the observations I’ve made
about tattoo graphics into my
own personal paintings.
Growing up in Hong Kong
society, I was often told that only
triad members sported tattoos.
This is why HKers have such
prejudice against people who
have visible tattoos; people with
tattoos were supposed to be
unsavory people affiliated with
gang activities. Today, attitudes
about tattoos have changed in
Hong Kong as more and more
young people just think of it as a
personal choice. Personally
though, I still appreciate the
original intention with which
triad tattooing was performed—
people who acquired triad
tattoos sometimes did it because
they believe having a mythical
140
Tsz Kam
‘97 Fireworks, paws in my palms.
Acrylic on panel
141
142
beast or entity tattooed allows them to channel
the power of that entity. I have also heard
supernatural anecdotes about people getting
mysteriously sick after getting a tattoo of a
powerful entity, presumably because they were
not spiritually “strong enough” to control the
entity’s power.
As a queer artist, Nat speaks of her tattoo practice
as collecting animal icons as sentimental figures,
almost adjacent to the modern-day Internet furry
subculture that celebrates things like fursona and
adoptables, practices where young queer kids
project themselves and their identities onto selfinvented
or peer-invented animal characters. This
inspired me to follow my instincts. I’ve always
been interested in monsters and mythological
figures. I didn’t have a concrete reason to justify
why I wanted to draw and paint them before; I am
just never one to draw or paint something simply
because “I like it”. I need to know why and where
it comes from. It’s taken a long way from Wong Tai
Sin to Texas to find it, but I have found it.
After discovering Puca’s photography project
about Wong Tai Sin, my childhood home, and her
struggle with how her relatives in Hong Kong see
her tattoos, I wanted to share these thoughts with
the community. This is a love letter about how a
kid from Wong Tai Sin fell in love with tattoo art,
even though they still won’t get a tattoo themself.
About Tsz Kam tszkam.com @tszkam_art
Tsz Kam was born in British colonial Hong Kong
in the early 90s and moved to Texas in 2007 as a
teen. Kam’s family history of being political
refugees of communist China runs parallel to their
own escape from Hong Kong culture. As a first
generation immigrant, Kam explores the outsider
and insider perspectives through the lens of a
gender non-binary person, both when observing
American culture and looking back at their Sino
roots. By using escapism and nostalgia as an
expression, Kam reestablishes a sense of
belonging through their works.
Tsz Kam
Waterworks I
Acrylic on cotton rag mounted on panel
143
144
Tsz Kam
Darius
Acrylic on cotton rag mounted on panel
145
Interview with
Karon Ng
Home Cooked
Digital Illustration
Karon Ng
148
Karon Ng
London, UK
Karon Ng is a digital designer with a passion for illustration. Her
work encapsulates colour and culture, they are often in maximalist
style. Karon was born and raised in Hong Kong, but has lived in a
number of cities including, London, New York, Singapore, and
Beijing. She graduated from Central Saint Martins in Textile Design
and worked for a product design company in Hong Kong
specialising in designing prints to accentuate Hong Kong culture.
Karon Ng 是 一 位 數 碼 設 計 師 , 並 對 插 畫 有 濃 厚 興 趣 。 她 的 作 品 色
彩 豐 富 , 富 文 化 涵 義 , 風 格 走 極 繁 路 線 (maximalist)。Karon 生
於 香 港 、 長 於 香 港 , 亦 曾 居 於 多 個 城 市 , 包 括 倫 敦 、 紐 約 、 新 加
坡 及 北 京 。 她 在 中 央 聖 馬 丁 藝 術 與 設 計 學 院 畢 業 , 取 得 紡 織 設 計
學 位 , 並 於 香 港 的 產 品 設 計 公 司 工 作 , 專 門 設 計 突 出 香 港 文 化 的
印 刷 畫 。
Karon-draws.com
@karon.draws
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150
You describe your art as maximalist. Where did you
develop this style?
你 形 容 你 的 藝 術 走 極 繁 路 線 , 你 是 怎 樣 走 向 這 個 風 格 的 ?
Since I was young I have always been drawn to different
colours and patterns and I believe the influence is from my
experience of growing up in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong,
there is a colourful clash of different cultures in a
concentrated area and I have always wanted to convey the
aesthetic of ‘east meets west’. For me, this aesthetic equates
to upbeat energy and vibrant colours. To me, Hong Kong
has always given off a feeling of ‘more is more’ or a
maximalist style. For example, I often reminisce going to my
grandparents' place in a 500 square feet apartment in
Causeway Bay, where there are so many different objects
and different styles; for example: walls full of traditional
chinese paintings, a lunar year calendar, family photos,
colourful plastic chairs and chinese tea cups in different
shapes and sizes. To some it may feel messy or
claustrophobic but the mash up of different objects with
different meanings has always felt ‘right’ to me.
I think my style has also been influenced by my career so far.
When I started my journey in the art and design industry,
the companies I worked for also had a very ‘maximalist’
style. For example, I worked for Jacky Tsai who is a fine artist
who creates beautiful artwork that fuses traditional eastern
artistic techniques and imagery with western pop art
references. Similarly, I spent time at Goods of Desire which
is a Hong Kong product design company that always
incorporates traditional Hong Kong elements in different
products. Then, I worked for Mary Katrantzou who is a
greek fashion designer that designs beautiful maximalist
fashion items with eye-catching print collisions which, to
me, is super beautiful. In my illustrations, I draw
inspiration from all my experiences and I aim to mix
different objects with different meanings or patterns as
conveying that feeling of ‘more is more’ is the most familiar
feeling to me.
151
Karon Ng
Fragments (previous page)
Digital Illustration
Karon Ng
Bloom
Digital Illustration
我 年 幼 時 , 已 經 對 不 同 顏 色 和 圖 案 感 到 興 趣 , 我 相 信 這
是 源 於 在 香 港 長 大 的 經 歷 。 在 香 港 這 彈 丸 之 地 , 不 同 文
化 互 相 衝 擊 , 所 以 我 一 直 想 表 達 中 西 匯 聚 的 美 感 。 對 我
來 說 , 富 活 力 和 鮮 豔 的 色 彩 最 能 代 表 這 種 美 感 。 在 我 而
言 , 香 港 一 直 都 有 種 「 繁 複 就 是 美 」, 或 是 極 繁 主 義 的
感 覺 。 我 常 憶 起 到 祖 父 母 在 銅 鑼 灣 的 500 尺 單 位 裡 去 ,
那 裡 有 很 多 不 同 物 件 和 風 格 , 牆 壁 掛 滿 傳 統 中 國 國 畫 、
農 曆 日 曆 , 家 庭 照 、 色 彩 繽 紛 的 膠 凳 以 及 不 同 形 狀 和 大
小 的 中 式 茶 杯 。 對 某 些 人 來 說 , 可 能 感 覺 很 凌 亂 , 或 者
令 人 感 到 幽 閉 恐 懼 , 但 不 同 物 件 的 不 同 意 義 匯 合 起 來 ,
一 直 對 我 來 說 都 沒 有 不 妥 。
我 認 為 自 己 的 風 格 也 被 目 前 的 職 業 影 響 , 我 在 藝 術 及 設
計 行 業 起 步 時 , 所 任 職 的 公 司 都 走 極 繁 路 線 。 我 曾 為 藝
術 家 Jacky Tsai 工 作 , 他 的 作 品 糅 合 傳 統 東 方 藝 術 技 巧
和 意 象 , 以 及 西 方 普 普 藝 術 。 我 也 曾 在 「 住 好 啲 」 工
作 , 那 是 一 間 香 港 的 產 品 設 計 公 司 , 他 們 擅 於 將 香 港 傳
統 元 素 融 入 不 同 產 品 中 。 之 後 我 也 為 希 臘 時 裝 設 計 師
Mary Katrantzou 工 作 , 她 設 計 的 時 裝 單 品 走 美 麗 的 極
繁 路 線 , 印 上 的 圖 案 也 帶 來 視 覺 衝 擊 , 那 對 我 來 說 非 常
好 看 。 我 從 自 身 經 歷 中 找 畫 作 的 靈 感 , 也 希 望 融 匯 帶 有
不 同 意 義 或 圖 案 的 物 件 , 因 為 「 繁 複 就 是 美 」 是 我 最 熟
悉 的 感 覺 。
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153
Tell us more about the process
behind your recent works. How do
you locate the textures? What
programs do you use? What
inspires you?
可 以 分 析 你 近 期 作 品 背 後 的 創 作 過 程
嗎 ? 你 是 怎 樣 選 取 材 質 的 ? 你 用 甚 麼
軟 件 ? 有 甚 麼 啟 發 了 你 ?
I try to draw every day, and I am
inspired by my everyday encounters.
Whether it is a memory that I
suddenly thought of or something that
makes me feel happy or reminiscent.
As I am currently based in London and
we are in a lockdown, drawing to me is
a therapeutic process to ‘travel’ to
different places and memories.
Recently, I have been missing home a
lot and I love researching old
traditional Hong Kong objects and
interior design. When I recall some
specific objects I used to see in my
childhood, I message my family to see
if they can take photos for me in Hong
Kong, as well as researching online for
myself. Then I start sketching these
items roughly on my sketchbook with
a fine tip pen. I try to use sketchbooks
more often as it allows me to
appreciate every stroke I draw, even if
there is a mistake. For me, sketching
like this feels more authentic and ‘real’.
Then I use either Photoshop or
Procreate to fill in the colours and
textures.
When creating patterns and prints, I
really recommend creating them on
Procreate, as they have a function
called “Drawing Assist” and it is super
helpful when you have a wallpaper
print or tile design you want to create
in a short amount of time. Then, I
experiment with colour
combinations, seeing what works and
what doesn’t work. For colours, I often
draw inspiration from Victo Ngai,
who is a Los Angeles based illustrator
from Hong Kong and she has a
SkillShare class called ‘Color
Masterclass: Simple Steps to Create
Vivid Art’. Her works are always an
inspiration to me, they are very
intricate but also very vibrant with
perfectly balanced colour and
patterns.
我 嘗 試 每 日 都 繪 畫 , 因 為 我 的 靈 感 源
於 日 常 經 歷 , 可 能 是 突 然 想 起 的 回
憶 , 或 是 一 些 令 我 快 樂 或 懷 緬 的 事
情 。 因 為 我 現 在 身 處 倫 敦 , 而 我 們 正
在 封 城 中 , 繪 畫 對 我 是 一 個 治 癒 的 過
程 , 帶 我 「 遊 覽 」 不 同 地 方 和 回 憶 。
最 近 我 很 想 家 , 我 很 喜 歡 研 究 傳 統 老
香 港 的 物 件 和 室 內 設 計 。 當 我 記 起 兒
時 見 過 的 某 些 特 別 物 件 , 我 就 會 通 知
家 人 , 問 他 們 可 否 幫 我 在 香 港 找 那 些
物 件 拍 照 , 我 也 會 自 己 上 網 研 究 , 之
後 就 會 開 始 用 細 尖 的 筆 在 畫 簿 粗 略 素
描 那 些 物 件 。 我 盡 量 多 用 畫 簿 , 因 為
即 使 會 出 錯 , 我 也 可 以 欣 賞 自 己 的 每
一 筆 。 對 我 來 說 , 這 樣 的 素 描 感 覺 較
為 實 在 和 真 實 。 之 後 , 我 就 會 用
Photoshop 或 Procreate 加 上 色 彩 和 質
感 。
Karon Ng
Chinese New Year
Digital Illustration
154
我 推 薦 用 Procreate 創 作 圖 案 及 印 刷 畫 , 它 「Drawing Assist」 的 功 能 , 在
你 需 要 短 時 間 內 創 作 牆 紙 或 瓷 磚 設 計 非 常 有 用 。 之 後 我 就 會 試 不 同 的 顏
色 配 搭 , 看 看 那 些 可 行 , 那 些 不 可 行 。 顏 色 方 面 , 我 經 常 從 現 居 洛 杉 磯
的 香 港 插 畫 家 Victo Ngai 的 作 品 取 得 靈 感 , 她 主 持 了 一 個 SkillShare 課 堂
「Color Masterclass: Simple Steps to Create Vivid Art」( 顏 色 大 師 班 :
創 作 鮮 明 藝 術 的 簡 單 步 驟 )。 我 的 靈 感 很 多 時 候 均 來 自 她 的 作 品 , 它 們
都 很 細 緻 , 同 時 很 有 活 力 , 顏 色 和 圖 案 都 達 致 完 美 的 平 衡 。
155
You recently created an image based off of the movie In the Mood for
Love. You use five different textures in that work. Tell us about the ideas
you are trying to evoke in this image. How has that movie affected you?
你 最 近 創 作 的 一 幅 畫 取 材 自 電 影 《 花 樣 年 華 》, 你 在 該 作 品 用 了 五 種 不 同 的
材 質 。 你 希 望 透 過 這 件 作 品 帶 出 甚 麼 概 念 ? 這 電 影 怎 樣 影 響 你 ?
I am a big fan of Wong Kar Wai’s films. Watching his
films makes me feel nostalgic and I think it’s a ‘romantic’
version of Hong Kong which I desire to be in. In his
films, he captures Hong Kong in a very realistic way.
‘In the Mood for Love’ is a perfect example of what I love
in Hong Kong. The cramped apartments, the fusion of
different cultures, vibrant colours and patterns in a small
place. The film is a simple but beautiful story depicting
two characters having an affair. The illustration I drew is
a study of a scene where the lead female character is
looking outside the window after the lead male character
left Hong Kong to Singapore for good. Her feelings of
longing in that scene struck me the most and I wanted to
draw it.
The five different textures are actually inspired by the
interior design in the film. Most of the scenes are shot in
the cramped rooms of the lead characters, and there are
often textile designs mostly in the 80s and 90s with the
flower patterned curtains and geometric shaped
wallpaper design.
我 很 喜 歡 王 家 衛 的 電 影 , 看 他 的 電 影 會 令 我 懷 緬 過
去 , 我 認 為 他 作 品 中 的 香 港 是 「 浪 漫 」 版 的 香 港 , 我
很 想 身 處 其 中 , 他 的 電 影 以 很 真 實 的 方 式 呈 現 這 城
市 。
《 花 樣 年 華 》 完 美 地 呈 現 了 我 喜 歡 香 港 的 元 素 —— 狹
小 的 住 宅 單 位 、 不 同 文 化 的 匯 聚 、 有 限 空 間 裡 展 現 鮮
豔 色 彩 和 圖 案 。 這 電 影 描 述 兩 位 主 角 發 生 外 遇 , 是 簡
單 而 動 人 的 故 事 。 我 的 作 品 參 考 了 電 影 的 一 幕 , 女 主
角 在 男 主 角 永 別 香 港 前 往 新 加 坡 後 , 往 窗 外 看 的 一
刻 。 她 在 那 一 幕 充 滿 渴 望 的 情 感 令 我 最 印 象 深 刻 , 所
以 我 想 畫 下 來 。
那 五 種 材 質 靈 感 源 自 電 影 的 室 內 設 計 , 電 影 大 部 分 場
景 都 在 男 女 主 角 的 狹 小 房 間 裡 拍 攝 , 當 中 有 很 多 八 、
九 十 年 代 的 紡 織 物 設 計 , 例 如 花 卉 圖 案 窗 簾 及 幾 何 圖
形 牆 紙 的 設 計 。
Karon Ng
In the Mood for Love
Digital Illustration
Tell us about the symbolism in
Mirage.
可 以 解 釋 一 下 作 品 Mirage 中 的 象 徵 意
義 嗎 ?
Mirage illustrates my idea of how
Chinese culture can be integrated into
the global market in a contemporary
way. I was born in Hong Kong, and the
aesthetic of ‘East meets West’ often
influences my art and design. I have
integrated the Chinese aesthetic of
shan shui paintings with the colour
palette of pop art to enhance the idea
of “East meets West”.
When thinking about landscape art
through the lens of a Chinese
aesthetic, shan shui paintings came
to my mind. Shan shui paintings,
which literally means ‘mountainwater-picture’,
is a style of traditional
Chinese painting that depicts natural
Karon Ng
Mirage
Digital Illustration
158
landscapes with brush and ink. Shan
shui paintings involve a complicated
and rigorous set of requirements for
balance, composition, and form. My
illustration involves different elements
which guide the viewer through the
landscape and allow their eyes to
wander around.
Mirage 描 繪 了 我 認 為 中 華 文 化 可 以 怎
樣 以 現 代 方 式 融 入 國 際 市 場 。 我 在 香
港 出 生 ,「 中 西 匯 聚 」 的 美 學 經 常 影
響 我 的 藝 術 和 設 計 。 我 融 合 山 水 畫 的
中 式 美 感 及 普 普 藝 術 的 顏 色 配 搭 , 提
升 「 中 西 匯 聚 」 的 意 念 。
以 中 式 美 感 角 度 看 風 景 畫 , 我 就 會 想
起 山 水 畫 。 山 水 畫 即 是 山 和 水 的 畫 ,
是 傳 統 中 國 畫 的 一 種 類 型 , 以 毛 筆 和
墨 水 描 繪 自 然 風 景 。 山 水 畫 需 要 複 雜
及 嚴 謹 的 平 衡 、 構 圖 和 形 態 。 我 的 畫
作 涵 蓋 不 同 元 素 , 引 領 觀 眾 瀏 覽 風
景 , 讓 視 線 遊 走 各 處 。
159
You’ve chosen to portray many classic
dishes like bitter melon, century egg tofu
salad, and okra salad. Why did you choose
these dishes? What do they represent?
你 描 繪 了 很 多 傳 統 菜 式 , 例 如 苦 瓜 、 涼 拌 皮
蛋 豆 腐 和 涼 拌 秋 葵 。 你 為 甚 麼 會 選 擇 這 些 菜
式 ? 它 們 代 表 甚 麼 ?
The dishes collection is a project I did with
‘Once Upon A Dish’, a platform curated by
Meiji, a friend of mine to celebrate dishes with
personal stories. I drew this collection during
the summer of 2020 whilst living in London
where I was reminiscing about being at home
in Hong Kong having dinner with my family.
Even though there is such a fast paced culture
in Hong Kong, my family always insisted that
we sit together in our dining room to have
dinner every night. We usually had chinese
dishes and we called them “ 餸 “ (side dishes),
and we paired them with rice. The perfect
proportion with ‘ 餸 ’ is ‘ 三 餸 一 湯 ’, which
means three side dishes and one big bowl of
soup. The side dishes are mostly vegetables
and meat, some stir fried and some slow
cooked, depending on time. My mom is also a
big believer of the ‘Yin (Cold) and Yang
(Warm)’ elements in food and the side dishes
have to complement each other to make sure
we get the right nutrients from the food.
As mentioned above, I now live in London
and I haven’t been back home for two years.
Even though I tried really hard to cook
Chinese dishes every night like my mom did
when I was in Hong Kong, it takes too much
time and it’s very hard to find the right
ingredients. The dishes I drew are a revamped
version of the “summer dishes” that my mom
used to make in the summer and it aims to
cool down your body so your body will feel
more “balanced”. The dishes are made with
the ingredients that I found in the UK and
they all have their own unique personal
sentiment.
這 小 菜 系 列 是 我 跟 「Once Upon A Dish」 所 創 作 的 項 目 , 那 是 我 朋 友 Meiji 策
展 的 一 個 平 台 , 旨 在 記 錄 有 個 人 故 事 的 一 些 菜 式 。 我 在 2020 年 創 作 這 系 列 ,
當 時 我 住 在 倫 敦 , 很 懷 念 在 香 港 跟 家 人 在 家 吃 晚 餐 的 時 刻 。 雖 然 香 港 的 生 活
步 伐 很 快 , 我 家 人 一 直 堅 持 要 每 晚 在 飯 廳 一 起 吃 飯 。 我 們 一 般 會 吃 中 式 小
菜 , 也 就 是 「 餸 」, 並 配 以 白 飯 , 最 理 想 的 比 例 就 是 三 餸 一 湯 , 小 菜 一 般 都
是 菜 和 肉 , 有 些 是 炒 的 , 有 些 是 慢 煮 的 , 視 乎 有 多 少 時 間 。 我 母 親 奉 行 食 物
中 的 陰 陽 概 念 , 所 以 每 道 菜 都 要 互 相 配 合 , 確 保 我 們 可 以 從 食 物 中 吸 取 足 夠
營 養 。
之 前 提 過 我 現 居 倫 敦 , 兩 年 都 沒 返 家 了 。 我 每 晚 都 嘗 試 努 力 做 中 菜 , 仿
效 我 在 香 港 時 母 親 的 做 法 , 那 需 要 很 多 時 間 , 而 且 很 難 找 到 正 確 的 材
料 。 我 畫 的 菜 式 是 改 編 自 母 親 在 夏 天 煮 的 「 夏 日 菜 式 」, 這 些 菜 式 助 身
體 降 溫 , 讓 身 體 更 「 調 和 」。 我 用 在 英 國 找 到 的 材 料 做 那 些 菜 式 , 它 們
全 都 寄 託 了 獨 特 的 個 人 情 感 。
What is the inspiration behind your Still Here Still Life series?
你 創 作 Still Here Still Life 系 列 背 後 有 甚 麼 靈 感 ?
Still Here Still Life is a weekly drawing challenge which was founded by
two amazing illustrators Tess Smith-Roberts & Zena Kay. They give
different still life images prompts every week and we need to draw or
recreate them in our own styles. I do the Still Here Still Life challenge every
week as it builds an illustration community for me and allows me to
practice illustration.
I currently work as a full time digital designer by day and I started picking
up illustration again in March 2020, so I still need to practice and learn.
Still Here Still Life pushes me to think outside of the box and discover what
my style is. So far, I noticed that I love getting inspiration from the still life
objects and researching the history behind them and then developing my
own prints and interior to match with the objects. This method allows me
to do what I love most, which is to create wallpaper and textile prints to
compliment the objects. In the future, I really hope I can go back to Hong
Kong to create a collection of my encounters of still life objects.
Still Here Still Life 是 由 兩 位 優 秀 插 畫 家 Tess Smith-Roberts 和 Zena Kay 發
起 的 每 週 繪 畫 挑 戰 。 他 們 每 星 期 都 會 提 出 不 同 的 靜 態 物 件 作 題 目 , 我 們
就 用 自 己 的 風 格 繪 畫 或 重 塑 那 些 物 件 。 我 每 星 期 都 會 參 與 Still Here Still
Life 的 挑 戰 , 因 為 它 為 我 建 立 了 一 個 插 畫 愛 好 者 的 社 區 , 並 給 我 練 習 插
畫 的 機 會 。
我 現 時 是 一 個 全 職 的 數 碼 設 計 師 , 在 2020 年 3 月 開 始 再 次 畫 起 畫 來 , 所
以 還 需 要 鍛 煉 和 學 習 。Still Here Still Life 鼓 勵 我 跳 出 框 架 去 思 考 , 探 索
自 己 的 風 格 。 目 前 , 我 留 意 到 自 己 喜 歡 從 靜 態 物 品 中 取 得 靈 感 , 研 究 物
品 背 後 的 歷 史 , 並 創 作 自 己 的 印 刷 畫 和 室 內 裝 飾 去 襯 托 那 些 物 品 。 這 方
式 讓 我 做 自 己 最 喜 歡 做 的 事 情 , 那 就 是 創 作 牆 紙 和 紡 織 圖 案 去 配 襯 物
件 。 我 希 望 將 來 可 以 回 到 香 港 , 創 作 一 系 列 我 遇 到 的 靜 態 物 件 。
Karon Ng
Still Life Still Here
Digital Illustration
Karon Ng
Canto Dishes (previous page)
Digital Illustration
168
CantoCutie.com