grafting method

Whether in a foreign land or in one’s hometown, facing new people or old loves, how can one face the deepest ties in one’s heart?
After all, this is an era where expressing love or hate will be laughed at.

Zhou Fuqiao moved from Hong Kong to London, finding a place to live in a mixed-race area with cheap rent. His pounds quickly burned through, and like most expats, he had little time for leisure. He took a short part-time job at a clothing store before moving on to a full-time research assistant position. However, his Hong Kong experience didn't translate well to the London workplace, forcing him to look for a new job. With his fluency in English, Chinese, and Cantonese, he landed a job at a boutique, serving a diverse clientele. The salary was modest, but at least it guaranteed him a secure income. It wasn't until an employee-only sale that he discovered his colleagues' secret.

All the hardships and compromises in work and life were made to complete the animation "Grafting." Originally titled "Tree," Fuqiao painted a longan branch from Hong Kong grafted onto a horse chestnut tree from London. He layered the paint ninety-nine times, photographed each piece, and then stitched it together into an animation, showcasing the hundred different grafting techniques. It seems to metaphorically depict the changes Fuqiao has undergone since moving from Hong Kong to the UK, and also a distant reflection on the immigrant background of his former lover, Man Fei-Chee.

After several years of being single, Fuqiao met a new partner, Yunzi, a Briton. As they grew closer, he realized that Man Feicui's presence constantly overlapped with his present, and he also realized that he and Yunzi had many insurmountable differences. After completing "Grafting" and exhibiting it alongside "Tree," Fuqiao finally had the opportunity to make amends, but the struggle that followed proved even more overwhelming.

"Grafting" explores the lives and relationships of Asian lesbians living abroad, exploring themes such as the trauma of diaspora, in-between identities, belonging, non-relationships, and loneliness. While migrants strive to adapt and integrate into their new environment, their senses and thoughts remain entwined with their homeland. Life in a foreign land lacks a sense of vertical history, but it unfolds gradually through tangible and intangible "grafting." The novel is remarkably realistic, yet its meticulously drawn lines are brimming with metaphor.

Lu Yu

Raised in Hong Kong and currently living in London, she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hong Kong Baptist University and subsequently pursued a Master of Gender Studies at University College London.

She has been writing diaries since childhood and adapting screenplays as a student. She began writing short stories and now focuses on novels. Her first novel, Rongrong, was published in 2019 by Clean Press in Hong Kong, with a Taiwanese edition published by Squirrel Culture. She was the 2022 Aesop Queer Literature Library Hong Kong Featured Author.

Her next novel, The Rabbit Hole, is taking shape, and the work continues to explore themes of queerness, identity politics, desire, immigration, and contemporary diaspora.

Personal website loyu.work
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