給我地 / To Us, To Our Land

cat ko, Coco Law and Clara Cheung

When home burns, how do we breathe? When trauma is shared across oceans, how do we carry each other? What holds us when the land that raised us can no longer hold us?

In response to the devastating Tai Po Fire in Hong Kong, arts therapists Coco Law, Clara Cheung, and cat ko hosted an emotional support workshop series to make space for Sydney-based Hongkongers to explore radical self-care as collective care, and to express themselves through art and action. Home (Figure 1) is a collective artwork from the first workshop facilitated by Coco Law and cat ko, which was created to be publicly shared as a form of collective witnessing and truth-telling. The piece was an exploration of our diverse experiences and personal ties with Hong Kong, as well as how the diaspora could still weave connections to witness, contain, remember, and carry each other when conventional supports fall short. The paper cranes created from this time would be carried home by co-facilitator cat ko, back to Hong Kong, at the end of this year.

給我地 / To Us, To Our Land (Figure 2–9) is a mixed media comic by cat ko that emerged as a creative response to Home – tracing the artist-therapist’s journey from isolated grief to collective witness, asking: when the home as we know it is no longer safe, how do we ground ourselves? While there was no concrete answer, the comic reflects on the power of small actions – in carrying out acts of kindness, in holding each other, in creating together, toward a future where home can be safe again.

香港人，加油！

Cite this creative contributionko, c., Law, C. & Cheung, C. (2025). 給我地 / To Us, To Our Land. JoCAT, 20(2). https://www.jocat-online.org/c-25-ko-law-cheung

Figure 1. Hongkongers, cat ko, and Coco Law, Home, 2025, mixed media.

Figure 2. cat ko, 給我地 / To Us, To Our Land (page 1), 2025, mixed media.

Figure 3. cat ko, 給我地 / To Us, To Our Land (page 2), 2025, mixed media.

Figure 4. cat ko, 給我地 / To Us, To Our Land (page 3), 2025, mixed media.

Figure 5. cat ko, 給我地 / To Us, To Our Land (page 4), 2025, mixed media.

Figure 6. cat ko, 給我地 / To Us, To Our Land (page 5), 2025, mixed media.

Figure 7. cat ko, 給我地 / To Us, To Our Land (page 6), 2025, mixed media.

Figure 8. cat ko, 給我地 / To Us, To Our Land (page 7), 2025, mixed media.

Figure 9. cat ko, 給我地 / To Us, To Our Land (page 8), 2025, mixed media.

Authors

cat ko

MA ATh, AThR

cat is an art therapist with a deep curiosity towards the processes of human becoming. They are on a journey to understand trauma through a socio-political lens, and to investigate conditions that foster growth, healing, and resilience. Based on Dharug and Eora Country, their work focuses on adolescents, LGBTQIA+ communities, and people from Hong Kong and the Chinese diaspora. As an artist–therapist, cat explores how comics can rewrite our lives and selves, supporting creative flourishing in challenging times. On their days off, they believe in the healing powers of ‘lying flat’ (躺平) and not doing anything at all.

Coco Law

MA ATh, AThR

Coco completed her Master of Art Therapy at Western Sydney University in 2024 and is a co-founder of 852ArtHaven. She has ten years of teaching experience in Hong Kong across mainstream and special education, and previously served as an ASD social skills training instructor, developing strong practical skills in supporting children with diverse needs. After moving to Australia, she has facilitated art therapy workshops for the local Chinese elderly community. She currently provides psychoeducation services for children and parents, with a focus on emotional well-being and strengthening family and community connections.

Clara Cheung

MA ATh, AThR

Clara Cheung is a registered art therapist and educator with over a decade of experience supporting children and young people across Hong Kong and Australia. She began her career in positive-education schools, integrating fine arts, education, and child development into her work. After relocating to Australia and training at Western Sydney University, Clara has supported students in trauma-informed environments and provided therapeutic guidance for carers. She has facilitated therapeutic workshops for children in church programs and older adults in the Chinese community, and provides psychoeducation and therapeutic support for children and families, using creative expression to nurture well-being, resilience, and stronger family connections.

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