As a social enterprise supporting underprivileged and disadvantaged youths in Hong Kong, r é n began its journey three years ago with a focus in the world of hospitality, finding employment opportunities for those in need. This art month, as we continue to extend our reach into more industries, we've partnered with EAST Hong Kong for r é n @ EAST | Art & Community, a collaboration showcasing not just renowned local talent but also emerging artists from abroad. The partnership is inspired by our commitment to enrich the community in a contemporary and creative way through the lens of hospitality, an area that aligns closely with the hotel, where ‘art’ and ‘community’ also form key brand pillars. The collaborative exhibition is an embodiment of EAST’s vision as a contemporary and welcoming space for everyone to connect, fostering community through art, culture, and care.

Participating in the exhibition are three London-based emerging artists – Olivia Jeeyun Joung, Marcelle Rosfelder-Leu, and Ho Long Pang (Olkamll) – alongside two Hong Kong artists – DD Yung and Joyce Chiang, whose works are currently being displayed across EAST Hong Kong’s lobby from until April 30. Though distinct in media, visual language, and cultural influences, these artists are all connected by their shared desire to give back to the community and lower barriers to entry to the creative industry. The exhibition both celebrates and highlights the importance of community, within which these artists’ unique individuality plays a significant, harmonic role. 

"When I discovered that r é n actively seeks hospitality and kitchen job opportunities for their beneficiaries, I felt a deep connection and a strong desire to contribute,” says Jennifer Cheung, General Manager of EAST Hong Kong. “I am grateful to r é n for inspiring us to make a meaningful impact during our annual Art Month exhibition."

“EAST Hong Kong has been such great supporters of our work at r é n, and we’re very grateful for this opportunity to spotlight emerging artists from London as well as our own creatives in the city at this wonderful venue,” says r é n founder Jo Soo Tang. “Through their works, these five artists exemplify the values both r é n and EAST Hong Kong hold close to our hearts: inclusivity, diversity, and community.”

Olivia Jeeyun Joung is a Korean multimedia artist and a recent MA in Painting graduate from the Royal College of Art. Her practice centres on Jeong (정) – a profound Korean concept of deep, selfless affection and emotional bonds that develop gradually through shared experiences, time, touch, and mutual care – rooted in the Confucian values of respect and endurance during hardship. Through repetitive gestures (often painting directly with her fingers),  layered brushstrokes, and found objects like thread (evoking the "red thread of fate"), Joung visualises the slow accumulation of emotions over instantaneous feelings. In a digital, increasingly impersonal world, her work reminds viewers of the vital importance of genuine human connection, compassion, and thriving relationships, encouraging a return to a more affectionate society.

“For this project, I chose to present works that I created in the UK rather than my more recent works made with Korean materials,” Olivia explains. “This decision came from a personal desire to share my understanding of relationships formed within a multicultural city like London, and to observe how these ideas resonate in another multicultural context such as Hong Kong. I believe that experiences of connection differ between more single cultural societies and multicultural cities. In a single cultural context, Jeong often grows through shared backgrounds and familiar experiences, forming a sense of closeness through similarity. In contrast, Jeong in multicultural cities emerges from difference, from learning to empathize with others whose backgrounds, languages, and histories are not the same as one’s own. It is through these differences that care, curiosity, and affection begin to form.

“As someone who moved between multiple countries and schools, I often felt a sense of absence of Jeong. I experienced loneliness and a longing for emotional closeness, believing that the familiar form of Jeong I knew from Korea was missing. Over time, however, I realized this was a misconception. Although it did not appear in the same form, Jeong existed across cultures. Simple gestures such as holding the door open for the next person, natural compliments, potluck dinners, going to the pub together after work, or small talk revealed a shared emotional language. No matter where I lived or which culture I encountered, I came to understand that Jeong exists everywhere.”

Marcelle Rosfelder-Leu is a Swiss-Japanese artist based in London and Zurich, holding an MA in Painting from the Royal College of Art and an MA in Archaeology from SOAS, University of London. Her background in early Asian art and mixed heritage inform a hybrid practice blending Abstract Expressionism with East Asian ink traditions. Through sweeping gestural strokes, transparent washes, dripping, and inscriptive marks (oil stick and charcoal), she treats the canvas as a site of emergence, exploring presence and absence, memory, intimacy, fractured language, and the concept of Chi.

“I interpret the campaign as a dialogue between reality and hope – acknowledging lived challenges while holding space for joy, resilience, and possibility,” Marcelle tells us. “My paintings draw on nostalgia, architectural memory, and perspectives from Macau, using space and atmosphere to reflect how places carry both struggle and warmth over time. In the context of EAST and r é n, this approach resonates with the idea of fostering community and creativity within urban environments, where support and care allow individuals – especially young people – to reclaim optimism and imagine a brighter future.

“r é n’s ethos resonates deeply with me,” she adds. “Having lived in Hong Kong, I experienced first-hand the importance of increasing social awareness around inclusivity, and expanding work and study opportunities for disadvantaged youth. Our collaboration has emerged spontaneously, and its purpose feels aligned – rooted in shared values of kindness, participation and support through creative practice. I hope my artwork engages the community by offering a moment of pause and reflection within the urban environment. By drawing on nostalgia, architectural memory and place, the paintings create an emotional entry point that invites viewers to slow down and consider the layered experiences that shape a city and its people. In the context of this campaign, I hope the work encourages empathy and quiet connection – inspiring viewers to recognise resilience in everyday spaces, and to feel a sense of shared humanity, care, and hope that extends beyond the artwork itself.”

Ho Long Pang, who works under the alias Olkamll, is a London-based multidisciplinary artist from Hong Kong. His pieces span across and combine a multitude of practices, from painting to sculpture and installations to time-based works. His practice blurs the boundaries between disciplines, marrying them in symphonic harmony, challenging conventional classifications and specific categorisation. More recently, he has taken great interest in the usage of light and movement in his pieces, incorporating optical effects and computer-programmed visuals. He challenges the intangibility of light and reconsiders its tactility by combining his experiments with light with his expertise in wood and metal. His current works draw from his personal experience of going through heart surgery, inviting his audience to reflect on space, existence, and their purpose.

“With my experience with heart surgery, I came to realise how much we take for granted,” Olkamll shares. “I was also aware that there are many more who are experiencing worse, and suffering more than I was, which gave me a whole new respect for those that are living under those circumstances. In times of hardships during recovery, the idea that there's so much out there that I have yet to experience kept me going. Through my art, I want to inspire hope to those the same way imagining the day I'll be able to experience those things did for me, as well as give a sense of comfort and provide a moment of contentment to those who are suffering.

“I found the theme of celebrating the resilience of, and inspiring hope to, disabled youths particularly inspiring and personal, and so I wanted the pieces to be uplifting. With my recent experience with heart surgery, I found myself having a greater appreciation for inconspicuous and casual things – things I never used to notice – and I hope by bringing forward those moments of appreciation, I can inspire the same type of appreciation to those who are struggling and encourage people to start looking around and noticing the simple beauty of being.”

DD Yung is an artist driven by feline curiosity and a playful spirit. Much like her cat companions, she embraces whimsical techniques to create art that is deeply woven into the fabric of her life, particularly through her textile works. “You cannot be a boring artist,” says DD. “You need to be an interesting person with an optimistic attitude to be truly creative.” Through the use of lines to connect various forms, her work explores the interconnected relationship between humans and nature, which she considers the most fundamental element in all artistic expression. In her practice, DD reconstructs a vibrant world of flowers and plants using a mix of materials, including reclaimed and recycled elements. Her artwork invites viewers into a lush, visually seductive landscape. 

“My journey as an artist is deeply intertwined with my experiences in the community,” DD explains. “Recently, I met a young boy through one of my community projects, and witnessing his growth has been incredibly inspiring. Jo played a pivotal role in helping him seize the opportunity to fulfill his dreams; she was there to listen and support him. This experience resonates deeply with my vision as an artist – one rooted in connection and sharing. It reaffirms my commitment to using my art to uplift others and foster a sense of community, just as Jo has done.

“Working with r é n has been a truly inspiring experience,” she adds. “Their dedication to uplifting disadvantaged youths resonates deeply with me. Collaborating with them has reinforced my belief that art can be a powerful force for social change. It’s a reminder of how our work can impact lives directly, connecting communities and sparking important conversations about our shared experiences. I envision my artwork engaging the community by vividly portraying the struggles and triumphs of disadvantaged youths. Through bright colors and organic shapes, I hope to evoke strong emotions that encourage viewers to reflect on empathy and support. I want my art to inspire hope and introspection, prompting people to consider how they can contribute to a kinder, more inclusive community.”

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Joyce Chiang is a multidisciplinary artist and works primarily with ink, resin, acrylics, and gold leaf. She moved to the United States to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science at UCLA and then a Master of Architecture at University of Pennsylvania. Chiang’s work speaks to how we navigate through stability and change in our everyday life – capturing the nuances of peace and flux and the journey to equilibrium. Stories unfold through her creative process – where she uses a multi-layered approach to foster an active dialogue between artist and medium, in pursuit of harmony and balance on canvas. Her artworks have been included in group shows at Hart Haus and exhibited at Affordable Art Fair Hong Kong.

“When I first read the exhibition theme, my thoughts turned to childhood innocence – the openness and generosity with which children move through the world,” says Joyce. “In learning more about r é n’s and the care they bring to supporting young people, I was struck by how often meaningful change begins not with solutions, but with a big heart, an open mind, and a willingness to see potential where others might overlook it.

“As a society, we are quick to frame disadvantaged youth through a deficit-driven lens, focusing on what is missing rather than what already exists. A child’s gaze offers a powerful alternative – one that recognises connection before difference, and potential before limitation. This perspective feels both quietly radical and deeply human. This body of work emerges from that contrast: the learned assumptions of adulthood set against the clarity of a child’s perspective. By embracing a way of seeing that is less guarded and more generous, the works suggest another narrative – one grounded in care, belief, and opportunity.”

Aside from the lobby exhibition, on the opening evening of March 23 itself, r é n and EAST also kickstarted the month-long collaboration with a panel discussion titled “The Importance of Increasing Accessibility to the Creative Industry” as part of EAST’s “Ideas to Wake Up To” networking series at the Sugar rooftop bar. Moderator Zabrina Lo (Tatler senior editor in arts and culture) led a diverse panel including Tatum Lau (Nectere Partners co-founder), Polly Tang (Patisserie Millefeuille co-founder), Niko Leung (TMML Studio founder), and Kevin Mak (@streetsignhk co-founder) on a discussion about Hong Kong’s art industry, the challenges our youths face, and how industry leaders can lower the barrier to entry for aspiring artists and creatives to foster a more accessible and inclusive space. Their wealth of knowledge across various sectors of the industry as well as their experience with social work and r é n brought valuable insights to the discussion.