By Daisy CL Mandap
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| Three Bethune clients all glammed up for the photo shoot |
“Out,” a charity photo
exhibition held on March 29 and 30 at Soho House in Sheung Wan and organized by prominent local stylist Denise Ho and her company, KitDo, was a resounding
success for a number of reasons.
First, all but two of the
photos on exhibit were sold, raising much-needed funds for Bethune House
Migrant Women’s Refuge. A neat feat, considering that the preparations, the
shoots and the exhibit itself, were wrapped up in just a month and a half.
Second, it allowed all
seven exhibiting photographers and Bethune’s clients – all women – to get out of
their comfort zones and do something unusual.
For the photographers,
who are either models or office workers, it was a time to let go of their
creative juices and do something for a cause they truly believed in. For
Bethune’s clients, it was a time to cast away their problems even for just a
few hours, and take the once-in-a lifetime chance to dress up, put on makeup
and pose for professional photographers.
Third and most
importantly, the project left everyone involved with a deeper understanding of the
travails faced by the mostly women migrant workers in Hong Kong, especially
when they encounter problems and find themselves turning to charity groups like
Bethune House for help.
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| Bethune officers, clients and supporters at the succesful photo exhibit launch |
Ho said among her realizations
was that migrant domestic workers are the “hidden heroes of Hong Kong.”
She added, “I feel
like people should be reminded of that. And working with them, I learned so
much. I find them even more interesting than a lot of models I have worked
with, like real models. I think they have experienced a lot – they are very
strong women with a lot of stories to tell.”
After learning about
the challenges faced by some of the workers, she said, “I imagine myself in
that situation. I wouldn’t be able to handle that, you know. So I just find
them so much more interesting as subjects for the photos.”
Ho is also happy that
her photographers grabbed the chance to do something offbeat and help make a
difference in the lives of Bethune’s clients.
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| Ho (left) and Antonio at the launch |
For example, the
youngest of them, Elizabeth Keisha, is just 21 years old and is a software
engineer by profession. She works fulltime in this field, so she was able to
shoot only at night, which, however, did not stop her from turning in
outstanding works.
Kezia, who is Indonesian,
said she is herself an immigrant, so she understood how difficult it must have
been for their subjects to navigate through life in Hong Kong, even without the
added burden of a labour or criminal case hanging over their heads.
Even if she could only
shoot at night, she said it was no bother, as the outing with them gave her the
outlet to know their stories.
Natalie Dunn, who primarily
works as a model, said being female must have also contributed to the burden of
the migrant workers.
“All of us are female
photographers. We know how tough it is in the world to be a female
So for me if it’s a
cause supporting females I am 100% in,” said Dunn.
In fact, when Ho first
broach the idea of doing the exhibit to her, Dunn said it was elated as she
found it “super meaningful.”
“The women are such a
backbone of HK, and most of the time we don’t show them enough attention, we don’t
give them enough awareness,” she said. “I want to help them (Bethune House).
More people should be aware of them.”
Like the other Hong
Kong residents in the group, Dunn said that until they got involved in the
charity exhibition, they never even heard of Bethune House.
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| Emily, Kezia and Natalie say they never heard of Bethune until they joined the project |
“There is not a lot of
awareness for NGOs like this. So most of my friends who came said, “Oh I didn’t
know there were such NGOs like that helping these women. It was like an eye
opener. So even if they did not buy paintings, they wanted to donate,” she
added.
Edwina Antonio,
Bethune’s executive director, was understandably grateful that Ho decided to
organize the project, after just one conversation with Filipina model and
actress Xyza Cada, who has herself co-organized a fund-raiser for the shelter
some years back.
In
her speech at the exhibit launch, Antonio said, “This is a first time for the
residents to be made up, dressed up and photographed by seven well-known local
photographers for a fund raising exhibition. I knew the results would be
amazing, seeing their happy faces that exuded self-confidence and self- worth.”
“Congratulations
Denise and KitDo, your team did a great job in transforming these women beyond
their imagination. We need more of Kitdo, we need more of Denise, we need more
women working for women's welfare.”
One
other photographer tapped to help in the project chose to see the fun side of
the project, and her professional name, emilydrinkschocolate, speaks well
enough of her quirky works.
Emily
chose to veer away from the serious side of her models, and instead dressed
them in thick and luxurious fur coats, wearing colorful sunglasses and
elaborate make-up.
“When
Denise told me about it (the project) I thought it was fun,” she said.
And
she was right, because her subjects felt the same way. “The whole day they were
laughing a lot. They enjoyed having their face made up,” Emily said, her face
beaming.
Bethune’s
clients could not thank Ho and the photographers enough, not only for raising funds
for them, but also making them an important part of a project that they will
always remember.
Maria
Rosa said it was a privilege to have been part of the project, which she
described as “once-in-a-lifetime journey in photography.”
She
added: “Thank you for teaching us to think about others, to help one another,
and to feel good about giving.”
Another,
Flordeluna Martin said: “This activity really boosted our confidence, (and) taught
us to keep going. It made us realize that in spite of our hopelessness and
loneliness amid our struggles, there are so many people out there who are more
than willing to give us courage and support.”
She
thanked the organizers “for making (us) Bethune Ladies the stars in this
exhibit.”
The
other photographers who took part in the charity exhibit were Nikola Lines, Ruby Law, Nejama and Tung.
