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Kylie Knott

Victor clearly recalls the day 10 years ago that changed his life.
It was a Sunday, and he had gone to Hong Kong charity Aids Concern, where he volunteers, to have a rapid antibody test for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), an infection that attacks the body’s immune system.
For weeks, he had been experiencing diarrhoea that his friends told him was probably a severe case of food poisoning. Victor’s instincts told him it was something more serious.
His fears were amplified because he had been engaging in high-risk sexual behaviour – unprotected sex with numerous partners – following a painful break-up with his boyfriend that left him feeling empty.

He turned to dating apps to ease the loneliness, with one hook-up leaving him particularly worried that he might have caught a disease. His instincts proved correct.
“I remember staring at the test and watching it turn positive,” says Victor, 35, who moved to Hong Kong from mainland China with his family when he was 10. “It was a real shock – it felt like everything had suddenly become muted.”
What followed were bouts of depression and isolation. He could not tell his conservative parents about his diagnosis – he had not come out to them about his sexuality. He only told his sister, his only sibling.
“It was a really dark time.”
Fast forward, and Victor is in a happier place. He is on medication – one pill a day – has a better understanding of his identity, and practises self-love, teaching yoga and Pilates, which helps with his own mental health.
He is also one of 15 people who have contributed to “Emanate”, an exhibition by Aids Concern, the first charitable organisation in Hong Kong dedicated to HIV/Aids prevention, community health and the promotion of diverse sexual health.
Taking place at Wyndham Social in Central until December 7, the exhibition features bespoke room fragrances and diffusion stone installations created by people living with HIV, carers, counsellors and those working in the medical field.
Each artwork – installations made with meaningful objects – tells the creators’ story of resilience, support and transformation.
Take the work of King Nam, a heterosexual man in his seventies whose piece, Tea Arts, Network, includes the smartphone that was given to him by his family after he was hospitalised so he could stay in touch with them.
“Yet once the diagnosis was revealed, their attitude flipped 180 degrees, and nearly all communication ceased. I could not accept it; life plunged into absolute despair,” he writes in a note accompanying his piece.
“My rebirth began with a sudden visit from a group of healthcare workers and social workers, reminding me that humanity still holds warmth.
“I later joined many brain-health activities and medication lectures organised by Aids Concern and other groups, gradually guiding me back to a healthy path in life. I sincerely thank Aids Concern for this chance to release the depression buried in my heart for years.”
In the piece Autumn Comes and Goes, Amber, the primary carer for her HIV-positive parents – her father recently died – opens up about the struggles carers face.
“HIV casts a shadow over the family from the start. Outsiders misunderstand, gaze upon us with wary eyes. People say caring for elders is a blessing. As my parents’ sole support, I crave emotional and practical aid to sustain my strength.”

Bonnie Wong, a Hong Kong doctor specialising in infectious diseases, is also part of the exhibition, with her piece Boundless.
It explores the groundbreaking advances in HIV treatment over the past 40 years and the societal shift brought by the evidence-based principle “Undetectable = Untransmittable” (U=U), meaning that if a person with HIV has the virus suppressed to the point that their viral load is undetectable, they cannot transmit it.
Aids Concern CEO Jerome Yau says the exhibition is helping to raise much-needed awareness.
HIV remains a major global public health issue, having so far claimed 44 million lives, according to the World Health Organization.
If left untreated, HIV can lead to Aids (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), the most severe stage of HIV. There is no vaccine to prevent HIV infection and no cure for HIV/Aids.
But unlike in the 1980s and ’90s – the epidemic was first clinically observed in 1981, and there was no effective treatment until 1997 – an HIV diagnosis is no longer a death sentence.
Access to effective HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment (antiretroviral drugs) and care means an HIV infection has become a manageable chronic health condition, enabling those living with HIV to lead long and healthy lives.
In 2024, new HIV infections in Hong Kong dropped to a record low of 365, with most infections in the 20 to 75 age range and most new infections occurring in men.
The prevalence of HIV in Hong Kong’s general public is also low, Yau adds, coming in at 0.1 per cent, well below the global average of 0.6 per cent.
Yau says that while the numbers are encouraging, the city is lacking when it comes to sexuality education. Sexual contact is the main mode of transmission.
“The best practice is the comprehensive sexuality education frameworks developed by numerous UN agencies,” he says. “It’s a robust framework containing age-appropriate materials, so you need to start teaching early on and build from there.”

Those who test positive for the virus take medication for life, with life expectancy the same as non-infected peers. There is still no cure.
“We should not become complacent, especially if we want to reach the goal of ending HIV as a public health threat by achieving zero new infections by 2030, which is a worldwide goal,” Yau says.
Yau says the younger generation is wrong if they see Aids and HIV as an 1980s issue. “It’s still around and a public health threat. And if you’re not paying attention, then who knows what’s going to happen?”
He adds that one of the biggest obstacles is societal stigma.
“This leads people living with HIV to avoid or deny their condition out of fear, directly affecting treatment outcomes and daily life.
“In addition to focusing resources on high-risk groups, we also adopt an affirmative approach in serving the wider community, aiming to eliminate misunderstanding and discrimination towards people living with HIV – so that everyone can enjoy good sexual and mental health.”
Victor has felt the pain of prejudice. Fear prevented him from seeking treatment from a public hospital for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), a course of anti-HIV medications taken to prevent infection after a recent high-risk exposure. PEP must be started within 72 hours and taken for 28 consecutive days to be most effective.
The reason? He feared judgment from medical staff.
The exhibition also features a room-spray workshop and a tea ceremony on December 6.
Also on show are works by Hong Kong poet Lut Ming, artist Trevor Yeung, and Hong Kong-born Indian-Filipino artist Sharu Binnong Sikdar, whose piece incorporates pebbles.

“When you throw a pebble into a river, it creates a ripple effect,” Sikdar says. “So using that metaphor, I thought about how pebbles carry weight much like our words. Whether they’re negative or positive, words can impact someone.”
“Emanate”, Wyndham Social, 33 Wyndham Street, Central, 11am-9pm daily. Ends December 7.
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Why this Aids charity’s Hong Kong art show smells of resilience

Tea Arts, Network, by King Nam, is one of the pieces on show at Aids Concern’s new exhibition “Emanate”, which is taking place at Wyndham Social in Hong Kong’s Central neighbourhood until December 7. Photo: Aids Concern

Victor is one of the creators whose work features at Aids Concern’s “Emanate” exhibition in Hong Kong’s Central neighbourhood. Photo: Edmond So

Autumn Comes and Goes, by Amber. Photo: Aids Concern

Aids Concern CEO Jerome Yau attends the “Emanate” exhibition. Photo: Edmond So

Sharu Binnong Sikdar at the “Emanate” exhibition. Photo: Edmond So.

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Aids Concern’s ‘Emanate’ exhibition features art and fragrances created by people affected by HIV and Aids that tell their stories


Aids Concern’s ‘Emanate’ exhibition features art and fragrances created by people affected by HIV and Aids that tell their stories.


Why this Aids charity’s Hong Kong art show smells of resilience

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Aids Concern’s ‘Emanate’ exhibition features art and fragrances created by people affected by HIV and Aids that tell their stories

Aids Concern’s ‘Emanate’ exhibition features art and fragrances created by people affected by HIV and Aids that tell their stories