HKUNHCR - World Refugee Day

This project aims to raise awareness of refugee situations through public art. I sat with a displaced person to hear his story, then delivered two concepts, one of which was developed into the final 3 x 2m mural in Wan Chai district, Hong Kong.

Here is an excerpt I wrote as a reflection:

“We Are All Mankind” is what he said in response to my question, “what do you wish people knew?”

This struck me because I had never heard this sentiment phrased this way, and we had to ask him to repeat himself in case we had misheard or misunderstood.

What he was alluding to was that his experience and story could have been anybodyʼs, because at the end of the day, we are all the same. In my reflection of this, I found his sharing of this piece of wisdom to be deeply poignant, and I whole-heartedly agree.

Often, we create circles to identify who is “in” and who is “out,” yet there is much to be learned from those we call “others.”

When we open our hearts and minds to do so, we learn that we are, in fact, not too much different, only separated by circumstances and privilege.

In this piece, I aim to highlight the phrase “We Are All Mankind” in a simple, yet striking way. The different cuisines featured are a nod to his love of cooking with everyone he meets, and is a poignant metaphor for taking a brave and courageous bite into each other’s experiences.