Illustration and Identity: a story of East meets West
Jonathan Jay Lee |
TEDxCityUHongKong
• November 2021
“If you embrace your faults, they can’t be used to hurt you.” This is what Taiwanese-American Jonathan Jay Lee tells his students. Growing up, he always felt like an outsider, questioning his identity as a Hong Konger. Following his studies in America and his return to Hong Kong, he rediscovered his love for the city and all its details that are overlooked. He seeks to change how Hong Kong is often portrayed internationally – instead of the busy, bustling streets with neon signs, he also embraces the dripping ACs, the leaking pipes, the cracking paint on walls and wants to showcase its beauty. But this isn’t just about Hong Kong; this philosophy can be applied to our own identities. He encourages people to confront their identities, find their flaws, and learn to accept them.