Hong Kong Art Collective Champions Inclusivity with Innovative “Crip” Art Residency

The best ideas often emerge in challenging circumstances. For three close friends and artists, their breakthrough moment came during a difficult job interview. Yeung Siu-fong, an installation and performance artist; Thisby Cheng, a filmmaker and video artist; and Bomb Lam, an architectural researcher, had formed the collective c.95d8 in 2022. Living together in Sai Kung, Hong Kong, their struggle to find an affordable space for living and creating sparked an audacious plan: to buy a property together. This led them to interview for an entry-level concierge position at a security agency in September 2023.

During the interview, the HR executive questioned Yeung’s physical ability, remarking on her hands without acknowledging her presence. Yeung lost both her arms in an accident in Guangzhou at age nine. Despite her impressive achievements, including representing Hong Kong in swimming at the 2010 Asian Para Games and earning a degree in fine art from RMIT University in Australia, Yeung faced blatant discrimination. This painful experience highlighted the stark difference between the inclusive art world and the discriminatory job market.

Since 2022, c.95d8 has hosted public events in their Sai Kung space and ran an LGBTQ film screening marathon during Pride Month in June 2023. Inspired by their discriminatory experience, they proposed to “crip” contemporary art, bringing disabled artists’ experiences to the public and fostering a truly inclusive art ecosystem.

In December 2023, c.95d8 secured funding from Art-is-land, enabling them to run a residency for three artists: Chiu Wai-chi, Fong Tsz-ying, and Chan Mei-tung. They also launched a “crip art residency” through an open call. The works created during the residency will be exhibited at Eaton HK hotel as part of its “Eclipsed Bodies, Embraced Pride” queer arts and cultural programs.

The term “crip,” historically used as slang for “cripple,” has been reclaimed by the disabled community in the West. It now signifies pride, resilience, and resistance against ableism. Cheng advocates for this term over “disabled,” which implies inability. Lam, who identifies with both LGBTQ and crip identities, sees parallels between rejecting societal norms and embracing diversity.

For c.95d8, the term “crip” is symbolized using an element from the I-Ching character for “determination” or “breakthrough.” This redefinition aims to express the infinite potential within imperfections, providing a liberating identity for the artists.

“In terms of diversity, equality, and inclusion, Hong Kong is still very far behind,” Cheng says. “Embracing both queer and crip identities feels more liberating, allowing us to be unapologetically ourselves.”

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