Street Talk: Yeung Siu-fong
Creating a work of art isn’t exactly a piece of cake for the average person, but it’s doubly difficult when you don’t have the use of your hands. One of only a few foot painters in Hong Kong, Yeung Siu-fong tells Isabelle Hon about losing her arms and how she became an artist.
HK Magazine: When did you start painting?
Yeung Siu-fong: I went to a foot painting exhibition in 2007 and met my teacher Chan Wai. After that, I studied sketching, watercolors and Chinese art with her intermittently for eight years. Since she lives in Canada, we could only have lessons during her trips to Hong Kong. She knew that I didn’t have enough money, but saw my interest in painting and never asked for a dollar.
HK: What happened to your arms?
YF: I was playing on a roof when I was 9 years old and there was a high-pressure electricity leak. My arms were damaged from the electric shock, and after many attempts to operate failed, my family and I decided to get rid of them. The first time I tried to use my feet instead of my hands was actually to paint. It wasn’t until later that I tried to use them for routine things such as picking up food.
HK: Did you receive any special training?
YF: At first people fed me, but I wanted to do learn how to take care of myself. I took two weeks and trained myself to use chopsticks to grab yellow beans, and that wasn’t so hard. I also trained my flexibility and control by standing still and drawing curves. To paint, I have to focus and can’t shake at all. Sometimes I stand and sometimes I sit: Standing without shaking is tiring, but when sitting, I have to bend my waist and that also uses lots of energy.
HK: What’s your source of inspiration?
YF: I like landscapes a lot, so every time I go somewhere I take pictures. I also capture screenshots from arty movies, especially those with stunning cinematography. One of my favorite paintings is “Maple Tree” (above)—it’s one of my earlier works, from 2007-09. At that time most of my painting was in color. The maple tree stands still, yet a breeze moves the leaves slightly. I love this natural motion.