Catching-up with May Yeung (Art of MY Family)

This week's Catching-up is with May Yeung, founder of Art of MY Family and member of the DutchCham SME Committee. 

May, could you introduce yourself?
My name is May Yeung. I am a sculptor by trade and the founder of Art of MY Family.

I was the Vice Chair of the Creative Committee in 2022 - 2023. It has been an incredible honour to be one of the founding members of the Committee since its establishment in 2016. 

I am excited about our merger with the SME Committee. Together, we created and curated the “Fill Central with Love” Exhibition, the inaugural installation at the opening of Central Market. In 2021, we even brought Dutch Chamber members along for a tour. More recently, we organised a talk for the "Knowledge of Design Week 2023 - Designing Circularity" Exhibition held at the Central Market.

What is your view on Hong Kong’s current creative industry?
The creative industry is one of Hong Kong’s six industries of priority, as stated in the 2010 - 2011 policy address. I believe there is much potential for the creative industry to be an important cultural export for Hong Kong. Efforts to spur local and international collaborations in the West Kowloon Cultural District, such as with the Zodiac Green Workshop at M+ and the rebranding of CreateHK to Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency, are thus important steps to achieving this end goal.

Can you tell us a bit about your latest project? 
The success of the Dutch Days in Hong Kong - Blossom Love Exhibition in 2022 has encouraged me to further explore and promote issues surrounding urban resilience and biodiversity. That’s why I launched Mother Nature and Our Next Generation Programme in 2023 through Art of MY Family. The programme consists of workshops teaching art and sustainability, as well as an exhibition showcasing outstanding art created by the participants. We even partnered with ecologists from the Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Gardens to develop fun and educational materials introducing Hong Kong’s native flora. Dutch Chamber members are welcome to join a guided tour of our exhibition on July 10 – 24 to see what this is all about! 

What made you become a member of the Creative Committee (now merged with the SME Committee)
I was invited by my Dutch friend Marloes van Houten to serve as the Visual Arts Director for a multi-disciplinary performance. During this time, I met Oscar Venhuis, the Chair of the Creative Committee. One thing led to the other, and I ended up joining the committee in 2016. 

The things the committee has been able to facilitate and achieve during the last nine years were remarkable - be it seminars, workshops, art tours, and creative mixers for keen and aspiring creatives, or the creation of ample opportunities for our members to showcase their works and engage in meaningful interactions and exchanges.

For me, one of the most memorable events I got to be deeply involved with was the inaugural "Double Dutch Talk Series" in 2016, which I co-organised with Oscar. The sharing of fresh ideas between sculptors and designers and the inspiring discussions that took place, as a result, is the ideal example of the kind of meaningful interactions our committee strives to create.

Looking ahead, the Creative Committee is excited to work closely with the SME Committee, and we eagerly anticipate collaborating with Jeffrey and other esteemed committee members. We hope to infuse the creative spirit of the Creative Committee into the SME Committee and foster innovation and growth together.