The Jessica Charitable Foundation is proud to partner with The JadeWalkers, a visionary performance art project led by former Hong Kong Olympian Yvette Kong, aligning with our shared mission of empowering women and youth.

Picture towering Moko Jumbies, performed by the renowned Brooklyn Jumbies, striding through Venice's historic streets, their sculptural outfits weaving Hong Kong's textile legacy with Mexican artistry, accompanied by four musicians from the Conservatorio di Musica. Envision Yvette as "The Female Warrior," radiating resilience and grace. Premiering at the 19th Venice Biennale on May 11, 2025, The JadeWalkers will tour globally and has the potential to become a cultural moment at Hong Kong's 15th National Games in November 2025, celebrating the city's cultural identity. Support this vision—donate and grab your tickets today!

A Living Monument to Hong Kong's Past and Future

Through Transversal Lab, Yvette transforms Hong Kong's textile past into a celebration of "future heritage." In the mid-20th century, Hong Kong's mills drove economic growth, shaping its urban fabric. The JadeWalkers reimagines this legacy through wearable sculptures crafted by Mexican artist Laura Anderson Barbata and Taiwanese textile innovator Tsai-Chun Huang. More than just costumes, these living monuments fuse Hong Kong's architectural motifs—like bamboo scaffolding and breeze-block ventilation—with futuristic pleats and bold fabrics.

The performance features stilt-walking Moko Jumbies, rooted in Caribbean Carnival traditions and reimagined to evoke Hong Kong's skyline and the Yang Warriors of Chinese folklore, alongside Yvette as the Female Warrior. Their movements, set to live music, echo the city's fluidity and strength, transforming public streets into stages for cultural pride. As Yvette shares, "I wanted Hong Kong to walk tall—our stories, strength, and aspirations moving with grace and defiance across the globe." This is Hong Kong's past, present, and future interwoven and set in motion, poised to shine at the National Games.

A Cross-Cultural Masterpiece

The JadeWalkers is a cross-cultural masterpiece, bridging Hong Kong's East-West identity with Mexican textile traditions. Laura Anderson Barbata, whose work has graced the Met and MoMA, brings her expertise in socially engaged performance, drawing from projects like Transcommunality. She describes the collaboration as a process of mutual learning, explaining: "JadeWalking extends the ideas behind Transcommunality by creating shared spaces for cultural dialogue. Rather than blending Hong Kong and Mexican traditions, we honor their distinct histories while highlighting shared values like resilience, adaptation, and community strength." This approach invites audiences into a universal conversation by creating sculptures that honor both cultures' resilience.

Tsai-Chun Huang, Assistant Professor of the School of Fashion and Textiles at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, infuses the fabrics with innovative pleats inspired by origami and Cantonese opera. "I think both [Hong Kong and Mexican styles] are very loud, but in a very interesting way," he notes, highlighting their shared boldness. "I think these two countries want to tell people, 'This is what we are.'" The textiles, a 50/50 blend of Hong Kong's Gambiered Canton Gauze and Mexican weaves, feature dragon-inspired colors and futuristic sheens. Details like 3D-printed fencing masks, a nod to Hong Kong's Olympic fencing triumphs, and bamboo elements reflect the city's vernacular craft, creating a visual dialogue that bridges East and West and invites audiences to see Hong Kong as a global cultural hub. Laura describes working with Yvette and Tsai-Chun as a "process of mutual learning and deep listening," adding, "The sculptures are not costumes—they are characters that embody strength, transformation, and cultural continuity."

Why You Can't Miss This

Premiering at the Venice Biennale, The JadeWalkers will captivate 285,000+ visitors and 2,500 journalists, with coverage spanning 80+ countries. Its potential Hong Kong performance at the 15th National Games, a landmark event co-hosted with Guangdong and Macau, could reach millions, amplifying local pride and showcasing Hong Kong's cultural soft power. The world tour, including stops at Museo Tamayo in Mexico City, ensures global resonance, with a cinematic film preserving its legacy. Aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals for culture and equity, the project reclaims public spaces as hubs of connection.

Laura hopes audiences find "a moment of reflection—an interruption from daily routines that invites connection, awareness, imagination, and joy," while Tsai-Chun can't wait to see the performers "bring all the elements together" in Venice after working tirelessly since January 2025 to perfect every detail, from stabilizing headpieces with construction helmets to crafting tufted masks that echo Chinese opera.

Support and Join the Movement

The JadeWalkers is a self-funded cultural rebranding of Hong Kong, made possible through the Jessica Charitable Foundation's S.88 charitable partnership, championing women and youth empowerment.

Support Yvette's vision by donating to her Kickstarter campaign at http://kck.st/4lP9aO3. Every contribution helps bring this transformative project to life, from Venice to the National Games. Don't miss the chance to witness art that moves and redefines heritage, elevated by the Conservatorio di Musica's live score.

Tickets for the Venice Biennale (May-November 2025) are on sale at https://labiennale.vivaticket.it/en/tour/la-biennale-di-venezia-architettura/.

As Laura says, "Ultimately, I hope it inspires viewers to recognize the value of cultural traditions and the creative possibilities that arise when we walk together, even across great distances."

Hong Kong is walking tall. Will you walk with us?