In the Studio: Trevor Yeung Brings His Venice Vision Back to Hong Kong

During last year’s monumental 60th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, the visionary Trevor Yeung represented Hong Kong with a riveting showcase. Titled “Trevor Yeung: Courtyard of Attachments, Hong Kong in Venice,” the specially commissioned solo presentation utilized mesmeric installations to connect the nuances of humanity with aquatic ecosystems. On June 14 at Hong Kong’s M+ museum, the artist renews the exhibition for local and international audiences in the vibrant city, curated by Olivia Chow, on view through October 12. With tender and perceptive insights on emotional detachment and unbalanced power dynamics in modern society, Yeung echoes his presentation in Venice within the prestigious museum space. Here, zeroing in on environmental and societal concerns, the artist balances layered personal experiences with acute observations on our global climate crisis. 

“Bringing this work back to Hong Kong offers a special opportunity to recontextualise my Venice presentation for a local audience,” said Yeung. “I hope visitors will find moments of recognition in these melancholic spaces and resonate with what remains after loss. I am deeply grateful to everyone who has contributed to and supported this project from its inception to its homecoming.” Whitewall had the opportunity to speak to Yeung during this pivotal moment, and the skillful creative shared intricate details of his practice, as well as a sincere desire to simply connect with people. 

WHITEWALL: Can you walk us through your current studio practice? How has your approach to materials evolved over time? 

TREVOR YEUNG: When you come to my studio it doesn’t feel like I’ve used it for only a couple of years because of all the things that I’ve accumulated. I’m constantly thinking about how I can have more space. I’m quite obsessed with finding materials. I’ve always found it to be how I come up with ideas or make my artwork. 

“I’m quite obsessed with finding materials,”

Trevor Yeung

When I travel for a residency or project I always go to different places and I find materials. I’m intrigued and curious about the objects first. Then I will tell myself, I think I’m going to use that for my practice. It’s also one of the best excuses when you want to buy things. Then those materials will be placed in different areas in my studio, so from time to time I can revisit the objects and connect with them.

The Natural Connections in Trevor Yeung’s Artistry 

WW: Your work often explores human relationships, loneliness, and desire. How do you translate those emotions into a physical form and a physical piece?

TY: I worked with lamps—objects many children have connected with in their youth. Parents put a light lamp in their room so they don’t feel scared of darkness. And this is also a physical form of comfort. In darkness, you cannot see, you feel kind of uncertain and scared. This is a physical form to calm you down. When you become an adult, that loneliness is not only there in the dark, where you cannot see people, It’s more a mental state.

I always love to have these kinds of objects so that I can connect more deeply with the audience—or even with myself. When I make this work, originally, I’m just doing it for myself instead of making it into artwork.

“I always love to have these kinds of objects so that I can connect more deeply with the audience—or even with myself,”

Trevor Yeung

WW: As in your studio, plants, aquariums, and controlled ecosystems frequently appear in your work. What draws you to these natural elements, and how do they inform your storytelling? 

TY: I started keeping aquariums and plants before I decided to be an artist. All my shelves that were supposed to have books had small fish tanks. I spend so much time at the aquariums. For me, it’s a way to avoid dealing with the conflicts in reality. Whenever I face struggles in life I try to focus on taking care of the fish because it’s comforting. You think if you take care of them, they will be happy—but that happiness is from your perspective, so you never know.

When I moved to  university, the dormitory didn’t allow pets. So then I shifted my focus to plants. That’s the moment that I decided to have carnivorous plants—specifically, the Venus fly trap. I shift my perspective from animals to plants. I’m not the best at communicating with people, so interacting with objects like the plants, the aquariums helps me observe before making decisions. I think this has also become an important part of my practice. 

Engaging with Hong Kong and a Global Audience 

WW: You are an artist that is working in Hong Kong, you’ve always lived in Hong Kong, and you’ve been travelling but you’re practicing in your studios here. How does the city influence your work?

TY: This is a big studio space for me now—I’m very lucky. But I do think a small space tends to stimulate relationships. You can see many of my works are quite small and always have small details that you have to pay attention to. I think this comes from the identity of the city—of living, or surviving, in small spaces. For me, even a small work can evoke a strong atmosphere.

“For me, even a small work can evoke a strong atmosphere,”

Trevor Yeung

WW: What does it mean to you to have your work recognized—first at the Venice Biennale, representing Hong Kong, and now within major institutions? How do you see your practice engaging with a broader global audience? 

TY: There are so many different kinds of artists pursuing their own practices, making the things that they believe in. For  me, one of the reasons that I chose to become an artist, I think, is to feel that my work can connect people. If something bothers me, or if I feel something is important, I turn it into artwork. It connects with people. They don’t have to tell me—but in a way, that’s an even deeper connection. 

“One of the reasons that I chose to become an artist, I think, is to feel that my work can connect people,”

Trevor Yeung

Also, I think an artist is really an alternative to a historian. We are capturing what’s happening now in society. I’m just an artist in Hong Kong doing things I believe in. I don’t think I am able to change the world. But it’s important that those things that I do are recognized and, even subtly, connect with people.