Cover Claudia Chanhoi is pushing the boundaries of how people talk about sex through her illustrations (Photo: Affa Chan)
Claudia Chanhoi is pushing the boundaries of how people talk about sex through her illustrations (Photo: Affa Chan)
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While the illustrator’s wild days of dating are over, Chanhoi’s exploration of sex has just kicked into gear
Her work blindsides you. Bubblegum colours slam into your eyeballs so hard, your brain takes a beat to realise the cute cartoon doodles are boobs, butts and more. But Claudia Chanhoi’s pieces go deeper than mere shock or titillation. Through a pop art lens, they’ve charted years of a woman’s journey of sexual exploration.
Chanhoi’s goal has always been to further understanding and acceptance of sex and sexuality. This motivation is why she recently launched her third collaboration with Teen’s Key, a Hong Kong charity offering support to women. Chanhoi is raising money for Teen’s Key by selling merchandise featuring her art and is also producing new illustrations for use in a sex education course for young people.
Here, Chanhoi explains how everything in her life has shifted focus, from her art to her ideology, but that the spectre of judgement everywhere else remains the same.
Above Illustration artist Claudia Chanhoi is demystifying the female body through art and humour (Photo: Affa Chan)
Illustration artist Claudia Chanhoi is demystifying the female body through art and humour (Photo: Affa Chan)
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A year ago, I created illustrations for a sex toy brand survey about Hong Kong sexuality. Some answers surprised me. For instance, 38 percent of people surveyed thought that using sex toys made them a pervert or 47 percent worried they’d be rejected by their partners for their fantasies. A lot of sex toy companies have popped up in the market but at the same time, attitudes remain quite reductive.
Hong Kong-based clients often request I remove genital imagery or ask me to create something that won’t seem obviously sexual. When the project is supposed to be about sexual power or sexuality, that’s conflicting.
I read the sex ed syllabus back in the mid-2000s and it’s largely remained the same since. That’s scary. If schools don’t teach proper sexual health, then most young people will just turn to the internet or their friends, and their friends won’t know any better than them.
Above Claudia Chanhoi in her studio (Photo: Claudia Chanhoi)
Claudia Chanhoi in her studio (Photo: Claudia Chanhoi)
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My art has matured as I’ve gotten older. I don’t just talk about sex and dating. Now it’s more about sexualisation versus sexual empowerment. Sexual empowerment has nothing to do with how many people you’ve slept with or how much skin you show. Sexual empowerment is about receiving satisfaction and knowing what you’re getting out of it.
When I started my illustration career, I considered myself a feminist. Now I don’t consider myself a feminist at all—I don’t feel like any of the people I’ve seen who call themselves feminists represent my thoughts.
Radical feminists hold strong ideas about men having a lot of privilege and women being victims. I hate this idea, especially for young women. That kind of mindset is toxic—that women can’t do anything and men are simply bad for society. I completely disagree.
Meet more entrepreneurs revolutionising The Arts on the Gen.T List 2023.
