The (Hong) Kong Women on new work at Edinburgh Fringe

Phrases by Maria Elena Ricci.

Justyne Li, WONG Pik Kei and Alice Ma are three of the gifted artists from Hong Kong performing within the Hong Kong Soul platform in London and Edinburgh this summer season.

Nearer to their London-debut performances on the thirtieth of July, the artists from The (Hong) Kong Women triple invoice answered some questions on their solo works.

Q: What was the inspiration on your work?

Justyne Li: My work is known as Bleed-through. The inspiration comes from the way in which during which we exist now: a physique being “programmed” by exterior directions and motion which doesn’t fully come from self-awareness. We’re used to the physique, but we’re not conscious of it. Bleed-through is a piece that research and integrates it and turns it into dance actions.

WONG Pik Kei: My work is known as Fowl-watching. It talks in regards to the freedom of physique, which additionally entails need. In Asia, ladies’s need just isn’t at all times being mentioned and there are at all times a whole lot of misunderstandings. I hope I can use nudity to open this dialogue about what ladies’s physique must be.

Alice Ma: The work is known as Wu and is impressed from enthusiastic about my very own ugliness, to face and take care of it.

Q: How does your work resist the stereotypical understanding of the Kong Lady identification?

Justyne Li: My creation will not be particularly based mostly on “Kong Lady” identification on the time I started to create it, and it’s laborious to outline what precisely “Kong Lady” stands for. It by some means varies with every woman’s background, age, era and perception, and so forth. Hong Kong has a various tradition, and it has turn out to be extra sophisticated after 2019 for folks to “stereotype” a sure identification.

Nonetheless, I imagine stereotype usually defines an individual based on one’s exterior standing, which may be partial. This contrasts to how I create my physique motion and switch it into dance language. Briefly, when audiences see the “type” in my work, it comes from how I categorical my interior self.

WONG Pik Kei: I can’t say my work can resist any ideas, although from this work I begin to perceive how essential my physique is, how essential it’s that I share this sense with the viewers. Hopefully, due to that, we will begin speaking and rethinking what Kong Lady means to everybody, understanding it shouldn’t be ignored.

Alice Ma: My work doesn’t intend to withstand the stereotypical understanding of the Kong Lady identification. I discover it’s troublesome to outline, and I don’t need to outline what’s stereotypical of the Kong Lady identification. To some extent, I see the Kong Lady identification as ever-changing, like water.

Q: How do you suppose the Hong Kong Soul platform may also help optimistic illustration of younger ladies? What’s optimistic illustration to you?

Justyne: I take “optimistic illustration” with a relaxed demeanor. This mentality is essential to me at this stage, not simply solely in dancing/performing/creating, but in addition as an individual. A peaceful demeanor may also help me join with the best readability, and that is the very best power to speak with the others and the world.

WONG Pik Kei: I feel that after 4 years of the pandemic and likewise the present state of affairs with all of the adjustments in Hong Kong, Hong Kong Soul platform takes a giant step to deliver our voices exterior of Hong Kong. I hope we will begin reconnecting to the world and start to consider what we will do as artists.

Alice Ma: Hong Kong Soul platform brings our story to the world, permits us to attach with the world once more after almost 4 years of the pandemic. Optimistic illustration for me is to maintain passionate to myself and to the world, and preserve being curious.

Q: What do you hope the viewers will take away out of your efficiency?

Justyne: I don’t need to assume any. I hope each viewers has their free thoughts to see and get what they should see.

WONG Pik Kei: I by no means need to inform what that means I hope the audiences get from my work, I hope we each can benefit from the second deeply, and we discuss and share after that. I hope we will get the power to assist one another.

Alice: I do hope to know what the viewers really feel after watching it, and I stay up for their completely different interpretations. If I’ve to reply, I do hope the viewers can embrace their very own darkish aspect.

Q: How do you see your work in dialogue with the opposite two works showcased in The (Hong) Kong Women triple invoice.

Rachel: We assist one another on this triple invoice. Our work could not speak about the identical matter, however we do assist one another. I feel it exhibits the way in which of supporting one another on this unseen dialogue in The(Hong) Kong Women.

Alice: I imagine we three care about our interior selves and our society and we do need to inform our tales to the world.

The (Hong) Kong Women
Wednesday 2 – Sunday 13 August (no efficiency on 7 August) at 5.30pm
Summerhall – Demonstration Room
(Venue 26) 1 Summerhall, Edinburgh EH9 1PL
Field workplace 01315601580 / [email protected] / https://festival23.summerhall.co.uk/events/the-hong-kong-girls
Tickets (2 + 3 August) £10, (4 – 13 August) £15, £13 concessions
Length 60 minutes
Age 12+
Options nudity and scenes of a sexual nature

The (Hong) Kong Women triple invoice is previewed at The Studio Theatre RADA, 16 Chenies Road, London WC1E 7EX on Sunday 30 July at 2.30pm, tickets £10
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