Gina | Australian artist: “Hongkongers’ teamwork and care for each other will make you love them more and more.”
Gina is an Australian artist who loves the Hong Kong spirit. Find out her thoughts on this city ravaged by protest and why she thinks using art is the best way to spread awareness and global unity amongst us all.
“I fell in love with Hong Kong one New Year trip many years ago. Because of my fond memories of Hong Kong, it has been incredibly difficult to watch how violence is currently unfolding. Despite the chaos, there have been many incredibly heartwarming moments that were captured on screen—I am glad that this “Hong Kong spirit” is still alive.”
Journalist: Lolamorningstar
Photographer: Provided by the Interviewee
Before the Anti-ELAB movement, if you were to see an Australian like me on the streets of Hong Kong, you would have considered me as an outsider—a complete outsider.
I remember being so clueless about what was happening in Hong Kong at the very beginning of the protests six months ago.
But, I know that despite the devastating environmental issues that are happening at home, my heart aches for the pain of Hongkongers.
Discord between past and present memories of Hong Kong
At the beginning of the Anti-ELAB protest, there wasn’t much news coverage about Hong Kong here in Australia. I only found out (about the protest) because of a YouTube video I was watching to learn a Japanese song. The YouTuber is from Hong Kong and he described how angry Hongkongers were about the extradition bill amendment. It blew my mind that something so big was going on and I didn’t even know about it so I started digging into the topic. I kept looking for livestreams, social media posts, and footage on the ongoing protests—they all showed such horrific scenes of violence on the streets. Well, I need not describe them to you as you’ve probably seen them and it’s likely you’ve lived through them.
Like many others, I clung onto the happy memories of Hong Kong I had in the past. I fell in love with this city one New Year trip many years ago. Outside of the hotel we were staying at was an open area where some local kids were running around. I could see that they didn’t come from a lot—there weren’t many toys to be found—but they were all laughing and enjoying themselves. I still remember there was music in the air, and fairy lights on the trees around us. Their parents were on the side watching their kids, and even their grandparents were dancing. There was something magical about the atmosphere.
The grandparents bought some simple light-up toys from a dollar store nearby and handed them out to those children. I will never forget the look on their faces when they got those toys. They positively beamed at receiving something as simple as these little toys. They gave me one to play with too. That night, I felt a sense of community that looks after one another. It was like in the movies.
Finding Hong Kong’s spirit and its colour
Because of these fond memories of Hong Kong, it has been incredibly difficult to watch how the violence is currently unfolding. When I watched the police continue to bash someone already subdued on the video footage, I wanted to shout at my screen, as if, somehow, I could yell loud enough for them to hear me.
Despite the chaos and violence, there have been many incredibly heartwarming moments that were captured on screen too. There was a time when a reporter was given goggles, a helmet, and an umbrella by different people while reporting live, as well as having half a million people of all ages rallying for their futures. These tender moments remind me of the Hong Kong I knew. When I see people work together and care for each other, I can’t help but love Hongkongers more and more. I am glad that this “Hong Kong spirit” is still alive.
It’s come to the point where these feelings literally “coloured” the way I see Hong Kong. As an artist who has been drawing since I could pick up a pencil, I see a warm yellow glow whenever I think of this city being so full of strength. Yellow symbolises children and youthful hope so it makes sense to me that the umbrellas and helmets are symbolically yellow. It’s like a beacon of hope used to cover your head as you push into a future you’re trying to achieve, though sometimes that future is obscured by a little tear gas—a little hazy.
Connecting with Hong Kong through art
I was determined to find out more about Hong Kong and to connect with Hongkongers in a meaningful way. One organisation that stood out to me was FreetoberHK*. Through them, I found useful protest infographics in English and it was their artistic approach in sharing these messages with which I felt connected. The language of art does not use words. There is no need for translation. Art is simple and evocative—both primitive and elevated in its universality. It just makes so much sense to convey an impactful story through artwork. I’ve highly valued being able to learn about the lives of others through the form of art.
Therefore, FreetoberHK’s Shoe Design Movement appealed to me instantly. My contribution highlighted the need for “people power”—the idea that we can push for freedom if we are united and strive as one. As Australians, we get to live in a democratic society. We have our personal rights and freedoms. Seeing half a million people in Hong Kong march peacefully was a marvel to me because a protest with a hundred Australians could get rowdy and that’s okay, because the freedom of expression, of rage, if justified, is within their right. However, in the face of repression in other places, we may have taken our freedoms too much for granted.
A future of unity and hope
I want my shoe design to challenge those who are living in places where freedom is guaranteed. I hope that they can put themselves into the shoes of Hongkongers who are fighting for their own freedom. I want to ask them: “How would you feel if you were stripped of your rights? How would you feel if you could not speak your mind without the fear of being arrested or prosecuted? How would you feel if you were not allowed to publicly show your own identity or express your opinions without the fear of physical repercussions? What would you do then?”
I truly think the way forward is to work together.
We need to understand each other’s problems and to create a safe space for awareness and discussion. We need to listen to one another with an open mind without assuming any malicious intent—we need to see each other as human beings. This way, I believe that we will see our problems are actually interconnected and that, at the bottom of our hearts, we all want the same thing: to protect and safeguard our home.
“I am Gina, I am a HKer.”
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*Freetoberhk2019 is an online group that gathers artwork about Hong Kong’s Water Revolution