Hong Kong artist challenges disability labels in new exhibition
In ‘Decolonising Madness’ at Eaton HK, Sophie Cheung explores colonial-era definitions of ‘mental incapacity’ that still inform laws
Artist and disability justice advocate Sophie Cheung Hing-yee was diagnosed with schizophrenia when she was 13. By 20, she had stopped taking medication, but her doctor would not declare her “recovered”, only that her symptoms were in “remission”.
“That label … it felt like a wardrobe I could never step out of, a long, dark youth,” says Cheung, who is now 42.
It is more than a label. Under the Hong Kong Mental Health Ordinance, individuals like Cheung could still be considered “mentally incapable” even when they are not receiving treatment.
This legal concept, which dates back to the British colonial era, is the focus of her provocative new exhibition at Eaton HK, titled “Decolonising Madness: The Naturally (In)complete Human”.
According to the ordinance, which was introduced in 1962, “mental incapacity” is applied to those suffering from a condition that renders them “incapable of managing and administering their property and affairs; or persons suffering from mental illness or psychopathic disorders or having significantly impaired intelligence”.