Clara Cheung
Clara Cheung | |
|---|---|
張嘉莉 | |
 | |
| Member of the Wan Chai District Council | |
| In office 1 January 2020 – 7 July 2021 | |
| Constituency | Happy Valley |
| Personal details | |
| Spouse | Gum Cheng Yee Man |
| Children | 2 |
Clara Cheung Ka-lai (Chinese: 張嘉莉) is a Hong Kong artist and activist, co-founder of the C&G Artpartment gallery.[1][2][3]
Career
C&G Artpartment
In 2007, Cheung co-founded C&G Artpartment with her husband, Gum Cheng Yee Man. Located in a tong lau-style apartment building in Mong Kok, the gallery hosted over 80 art exhibitions between 2007 and 2021.[4]
Wan Chai District Council
In the 2019 Hong Kong local elections, Cheung was elected as a member of the Wan Chai District Council for the Happy Valley Constituency.[5] Cheung was among a number of artists elected to district councils in the election, which were a landslide in favor of Hong Kong's pro-democracy camp.[5]
Cheung from January 2020 until her resignation in July 2021 due to political threats in Hong Kong.[6][7][8]
Exile
Following her resignation, her family went into exile in the United Kingdom, settling in Sheffield.[2]
In 2023, Cheung and Gum launched "Harcourt Road", a community art project comparing the histories of Harcourt Road in Sheffield and Hong Kong.[9]
2025 censorship by China
In July 2025, C&G Artpartment's pieces were featured in the "Constellation of Complicity: Visualising the Global Machinery of Authoritarian Solidarity" exhibition at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre.[10][11] Following the exhibit's opening, officials from the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok demanded the removal of certain pieces of artwork deemed offensive to China.[12] Cheung and Gum's names were blacked out on the information for the “Anti-Spy Spy Club” installation.[13]
References
- ^ Guthrie, Andrew (31 March 2020). "C&G Artpartment: Looking back on a decade of Hong Kong art and activism". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
- ^ a b "Artists in exile continue to fight for Hong Kong's freedom". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ "How Hong Kong's Art Community Is Finding Home in the U.K." Artnet. 2024-01-31. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ "Clara Cheung: Uncensored". Amnesty International. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ a b "A Surprising Number of Artists Were Elected to Hong Kong's District Council. What Comes Next?". Artnet. 2019-12-03. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ "Clara - The Hong Kong Diaries". Hong Kong Diaries. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ "Artists elected councillors on Hong Kong's identity issues". South China Morning Post. 2020-02-14. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ "Hong Kong's Creative Types Head For The Exits". Asia Sentinel. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ "A New Show Explores Histories of Resistance in the U.K. and Hong Kong". Artnet. 2024-09-29. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ Farfan, Isa (2025-08-08). "Thai Art Center Censors Exhibition After "Pressure" From China". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ Mcpherson, Poppy; Wesshasartar, Napat; Wesshasartar, Napat (2025-08-08). "Exclusive: Thai gallery removes China-focused artworks after 'pressure' from Beijing". Reuters. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ "Because I don't Want Thailand to become a Chinese Vassal State, I Must Record This: Chinese Embassy Censoring BACC Art Exhibition in Bangkok". Khaosod. 2025-08-10. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
- ^ "Bangkok Art & Culture Centre censors works following visit from Chinese officials". ArtReview. Retrieved 2025-08-09.