Leslie Cheung’s life, work on display in Hong Kong: red high heels, white feather suit worn in 1997 and 2000 concerts to be exhibited for 1st time
- Two rare items will be showcased at “Miss You Much Leslie Exhibition”, which begins on Wednesday, ahead of 20th anniversary of his death
- Fans of Cantopop legend will be treated to audiovisual exhibits alongside costumes and awards from captivating career
A pair of red high heels and a white feather suit worn by Hong Kong’s late “King of Cantopop” Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing during concerts in 1997 and 2000 will be exhibited to the public for the first time as part of a collection of memorabilia and awards celebrating his life and work.
The two rare items are on loan from the star’s long-time partner Daffy Tong Hok-tak, and will be showcased at the “Miss You Much Leslie Exhibition” at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum in Sha Tin to commemorate the 20th anniversary of his death on April 1.
Fans can also see an array of music and film awards won by Cheung over his career and provided for the exhibition by Tong.
The Cantopop legend’s former manager Florence Chan Suk-fan and two other close friends, William Chang and Wing Shya, worked on the collection as guest curators.
“I know many international fans want to come to Hong Kong especially in hopes to commemorate Gor Gor Leslie,” Chan said on Tuesday, referring to the affectionate nickname given to him by fans, meaning “big brother” in Cantonese.
“The exhibition can evoke many different memories from a different era, the concept is to bring people back to those times in Leslie’s world.”
Remembering Leslie Cheung: Hong Kong fans’ devotion to Cantopop legend lives on
Cheung was one of Cantopop’s most iconic stars during its golden era in the 1980s and 1990s. He ended his life on April 1, 2003.
Renowned for his award-winning roles in films such as Farewell My Concubine and Days of Being Wild, Cheung lived with depression and his suicide in 2003 sent shock waves across the region.
He was 46 and still in a relationship with Tong at the time.
The Cantopop star was known for his androgynous and flamboyant stage appearances.
A pair of eye-catching red high heels worn by Cheung at a Hong Kong concert in 1997 will be displayed for the first time in public, according to Joseph Chow Chi-lim, an assistant curator of the heritage museum.
The pair is different from the Manolo Blahnik stilettos that Cheung also donned, which was earlier on display at West Kowloon’s M+ Pavillion in 2017.
Also making its public exhibition debut is a white-feathered outfit worn by the star during a Passion Tour concert in 2000, Chow said.
“These costumes are very precious... [and] they have been preserved well,” former manager Chan said.
Chow said the costume displays incorporated different media including videos featuring Cheung, making the experience more vivid.
Other memorabilia on display include a red cloak and suit with stonework worn by Cheung at the 1997 concert.
Personal items provided by Tong for the show include an award for the Best Film Song at the 14th Hong Kong Film Awards, which Cheung won for his tune Chase in 1995.
The song was the theme for the 1994 film He’s a Woman, She’s a Man, which he also starred in.
Visitors will be treated to audiovisual exhibits of his music, film and television work as part of the commemorative collection.
Museum director Brian Lam Kwok-fai said the biggest challenge in organising the exhibition was working on the audiovisual programmes.
“Leslie has starred in a number of films, it’s a tough and difficult task for us to complete the audiovisual programmes and productions in a short period of time,” he said.
Fans could expect to hear many noteworthy lines spoken by Cheung in his films, he said, adding that he hoped they could evoke good memories.
The exhibition, organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, will run from Wednesday until October 9.
