The healing power of art. Many people believe engaging in creative activities is not only a good stress reliever but can also provide a catharsis (relief) for difficult emotions. Half a year into Hong Kong’s current wave of street protests, more than 6,000 people have been arrested, about a third of whom are under 18. The conflict has increased pressures not only on the mental health of the protesters but also the public. In the light of this, at the end of September, a group of art students from the Chinese University of Hong Kong created a “Healing Cave” to help people cope with those pressures.

Indonesian artist Yunizar’s subjects are often related to everyday life. His semi-abstract paintings often incorporate elements from still-life scenes and use a controlled palette of colours. He works mainly in acrylic and pencil, working and re-working the surface to achieve variations in texture. Sin Sin Man, founder of the Sin Sin Fine Art met Yunizar in the early days of setting up the gallery. On show at Sin Sin until the 20th January, “The Original Story” showcases Yunizar’s signature style.

At the beginning last year, members of the five-man chamber music group Timecrafters, came to our studio to tell us about their group’s aims of injecting new elements into the string repertoire. As young players themselves, they also want to introduce classical music to a wider audience by collaborating with other musicians. One manifestation of that plan is an upcoming concert in which clarinettist Linus Fung, will be performing with harpist Lillian Kong. They’re here to tell us more.