The Anita Chan Lai-ling Gallery at the Fringe Club in Hong Kong hosted the third Chinese Calligraphy Paintings exhibition from February 17-18, 2024 to promote global sustainability goals through art.
Organized by the Chair of Community Education at the International Center for Environmental Education and Community Development (ICENECDEV), Dr. Shirley MC Yeung, the event aimed to visually represent United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as health, education, gender equality, work, innovation, climate action, peace, and partnerships.
Yeung, also an Associate Vice President at UNESCO Hong Kong Association and Associate Professor at Gratia Christian College, served as the Project Convener, Designer, and Implementator.
Empowering Global Goals through Art
The project, titled “Restore the Nature with Innovations via SDGs and ESG/Institute of Economics Peace (IEP),” focused on showcasing the integration of SDGs through Chinese Calligraphy paintings.
The exhibition used storytelling techniques and applied SDGs, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), and IEP concepts to empower students and women artists. It featured both physical and virtual painting exhibitions with innovations, promoting diversity, climate change, peace, and more.
Apart from the artistic display, the project aimed to educate the community on using Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) as a service for SDG/ESG/IEP-related activities.
The NFT objects featured Asian-style paintings by youth and women from various countries, focusing on endangered species and plants.
Dr. Yeung’s Collaborative Approach For Art, Business, and Community Engagement
Yeung, in her role as a curator and artist, emphasized the importance of collaboration and co-creation with values to engage diverse communities.
The exhibition demonstrated how art and business principles, can provide playful, fun, and meaningful experiences for the community.
Moreover, Yeung’s collaborative efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic included art exhibitions at the Fringe Club and Anita Chan Lai-ling Gallery, showcasing her project “Restore the Nature with Innovations via SDG and ESG/Institute of Economics Peace IEP.”
Guest speakers at the event included Mr. Anson Chen, Acting Chairman of the Fringe Club, Mr. Darwin Chen, Emeritus President and Honorary Advisor of UNESCO Hong Kong Association, Dr. Nway Eint Chei, UNOSSC Delegate, Prof. Medhi Majidi, World Bank Consultant, and Mr. Foo Sai Heng, a renowned Chinese Artist.
International Accolades and Future Endeavors
The Restore the Nature with Innovations via SDG and ESG/Institute of Economics Peace IEP project was shortlisted by the Ministry of Education, UAE, presented in Cop28, Dubai, in December 2023, and featured in the UNESCAP SDG Pavilion in Bangkok in March 2023 and February 2024.
The exhibition also highlighted Dr. Yeung’s commitment to supporting young female artists, promoting gender equality, economic impacts, new business models, innovations, responsible production and consumption, and partnerships, all aligned with the SDGs.
In addition to the Hong Kong exhibitions, Yeung’s work has gained international recognition. SYART Gallery, Singapore invited her as a Judging Panel Member for the Young Asia Artist (YAA) Award 2023 and 2024. Yeung was nominated as a Local Change Maker by ICENECDEV, UN Global Compact Member, and received the International #Time2Leap Award Winner for SDG Acceleration Visionary Leadership from MSME Summentorpro, recognized by the Ministry of India.
Looking ahead, Yeung’s projects continue to expand globally, with upcoming exhibitions in London, UK, and participation in events like Cop28 in Dubai, UAE, and UNESCAP in Bangkok, Thailand.
