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Fiona Sun

Being of small build and confined to a wheelchair, Hong Kong photographer Kevin Cheng Kai-man regrets not being able to capture the Occupy movement protests of 2014.
“Even for able-bodied people, it was dangerous to rush to the forefront, let alone someone in a wheelchair,” he says.
Cheng, 33, who is less than 1 metre tall, has a rare genetic disorder, osteogenesis imperfecta – also known as brittle bone disease – which causes bones to break easily.
What is unbreakable however, is his will not to be shackled by his physical limitations. He has turned to drone photography, using a remote camera to capture panoramic shots of the city and to see life from a different perspective.
“I couldn’t change the world, so I tried to change myself,” he says.

Because of his condition, Cheng has used a wheelchair from an early age. Aside from his small stature, he also has weak limbs and is hearing-impaired. He is the only member of his family affected by the disorder.
“It’s just a physical difference, just as some people wear glasses while others don’t,” he says, brushing off the unwanted stares he receives in public.
It’s just a physical difference, just as some people wear glasses while others don’t
Kevin Cheng, photographer
Cheng developed an interest in photography while in secondary school and went on to complete a higher diploma in multimedia design at Polytechnic University.
He started out shooting city landscapes, but being in his wheelchair prevented him from getting to higher vantage spots.
That was until he bought a drone camera four years ago, and the technology opened up a world of possibilities for him, enabling him to take sweeping vistas of landscapes.

He finds operating the drone controller as easy as manoeuvring his electrically powered wheelchair.
Instead of complex colours and composition, Cheng uses basic elements of design in his photography to convey a different perspective of Hong Kong, focusing on points, lines and shapes.
“I want the public to view our city in a distinctive, simple way,” he says.

Apart from panoramic shots, Cheng also loves details. Some of his works have only one subject, such as a boat emerging from the endless sea. By presenting details, Cheng hopes viewers will observe and imagine.
Unlike five years ago when he could not capture the Occupy protests, his drone camera has allowed him to cover the ongoing rallies against the now-suspended extradition bill.

Cheng also does documentary photography to record social issues.
“Most photographs illustrate the glorious side of Hong Kong, but in reality, not all things are as beautiful as they seem,” he says.

He likes visiting old neighbourhoods to photograph aged buildings before they are torn down, and hopes his pictures can raise awareness about conservation of the city’s culture and heritage.
Five years ago, Cheng produced a series of photographs titled “Urban Farmers”, in which men dressed in shirts and ties, made bids for farmland. He drew inspiration from a controversial government plan to develop 614 hectares of rural land in the northeast New Territories for housing.
Through his photos, Cheng aimed to show how urban developments encroach on nature for material gain.
Designer overcomes personal tragedy that left her in wheelchair
Earlier this year, many people turned up to snap shots of Yue Man Square – an old neighbourhood in Kwun Tong – which was being cleared for a major redevelopment project. Cheng says he found it sad that they paid attention only at the end.
Married to kindergarten teacher Macy Chan, 25, Cheng and his wife have two healthy daughters aged five and one. He says the birth of his first child made him reflect: “As a Hongkonger, what can I leave behind for my children?”
When not soaring in spirit through the lens of his drone camera, Cheng occasionally teaches photography to students at special schools. He is an artist at non-profit organisation Arts with the Disabled Association Hong Kong, which hosted a two-month solo exhibition of his works earlier this year.
Tiffany Ng, manager of the association’s artist agency, says: “Cheng is one of our most established artists. He has broken physical barriers through his art.”


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City Weekend

How being in a wheelchair has not shackled this Hong Kong photographer from taking to the skies for sweeping drone shots of city

Photographer Kevin Cheng with works from his exhibition. Photo: Nora Tam

Portrait of 33-year-old Hong Kong wheelchair photographer Kevin Cheng Kai-man in Causeway Bay. 17JUN19 SCMP / Nora Tam

Sai Wan Pier by Kevin Cheng

Nearly 2 million people took to streets in anti-extradition protest on June 16 by Kevin Cheng

Hong Kong wheelchair photographer Kevin Cheng Kai-man, 33, poses in front of his “Truly Hong Kong Series Art Exhibition: Lion Rock And Space” currently showcased at ADAM Art Space in Wan Chai. 17JUN19 SCMP / Nora Tam

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Hong Kong

Society

Kevin Cheng, 33, has a rare genetic disorder, osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease. But that has not stopped him from his pursuit of art


Kevin Cheng, 33, has a rare genetic disorder, osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease. But that has not stopped him from his pursuit of art.


Old Hong Kong