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YAI Arts had a special visitor from Hong Kong stop by their studio last month and had a chance to give her a tour of the studio at HQ and show their artwork.

Miller Cheung, the program manager at Arts with the Disabled Association Hong Kong, a nonprofit that develops arts for people with disabilities, visited YAI Arts on July 31.

“The energy and passion of the YAI artists was truly inspiring,” said Cheung. “I was moved by their creativity, skill, and heartfelt dedication to the arts and greatly enjoyed the opportunity to speak with them about their work.”

Cheung reached out to YAI during her visit to New York after learning about YAI’s arts program online. Her interest in the artists peaked after she realized the work they do is similar to the artists she works with in Hong Kong.

“I really enjoyed speaking directly with the artists about their work and hearing the personal stories and perspectives behind their artworks,” she said. “It was a privilege to witness the artists showcasing their artwork and to see the joy and pride they had sharing it.”

Jennifer Quinones, a YAI artist, led the tour for Cheung and introduced the artists who were at the studio. Each artist then showed her their individual artwork and explained the meaning behind the pieces.

“I showed her my Renaissance collection and the stories behind each piece, and she was blown away by them,” said Quinones. “It was incredible to have her be interested in our work and take the time to come see it.”

Quinones added she hopes to have more international visitors like Cheung come to YAI in the future.

“My dream is to have some people from Japan or even Egypt come here because I have a strong fascination with Egyptian art and medieval art.”

Cheung plans to visit the artists again in February next year and attend a YAI art exhibition.