Mr Leo Cheung Kwok-wing is an eminent alumnus of the Academy’s School of Theatre and Entertainment Arts. He is a luminary in the field of set and lighting design. His artistry has been placed at the service of dance, theatre, musical, opera and Chinese opera for many years, both in Hong Kong and elsewhere around the world. 

Mr Cheung embarked on his professional journey at the Academy, where he majored in Theatre Lighting Design. He then took a master’s degree in Lighting from Queensland University of Technology in Australia. His career has been distinguished by innovative use of light, shadows, spaces, and visual media. He has not only elevated productions aesthetically but also bridged art forms to reflect social and cultural narratives. During his professional journey, Mr Cheung has crafted acclaimed works for prestigious institutions. Early in his career, he designed lighting for La Traviata (1990), Tosca (1992), Der Rosenkavalier (1993), The Magic Flute (1994) and Un Ballo in Maschera (1995) for the Hong Kong Arts Festival. More recently, he fused modern lighting techniques with traditional aesthetics in Sands and Beyond (2017) by Wuji Ensemble and in As It Were (2018) by Gothenburg Opera Dance Company. Other notable works include Testimony (2006) and Mr Blank (2018) by City Contemporary Dance Company, and Road to Damascus (2021) by Hong Kong Repertory Theatre. His designs have adorned stages not only in Hong Kong and the Mainland, but also in Singapore, Japan, the United Kingdom, Israel and other international arenas.

His impressive attainments have been acknowledged by numerous awards. In 1994, he received the Outstanding Achievement of the Decade Award. He won the Best Lighting Design Award from the Hong Kong Federation of Drama Societies ten times between 1995 and 2022. He has also been honoured by the Hong Kong Dance Alliance, winning the Annual Dance Award for exceptional set and lighting design four times between 1999 and 2013. In 2014, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the development of arts and culture in Hong Kong, he received a Certificate of Commendation from the Home Affairs Bureau.

Besides being a creative designer, Mr Cheung is also a dedicated educator. He taught for 23 years, at the Academy’s School of Theatre and Entertainment Arts, progressing from Senior Lecturer (Lighting) to Associate Professor. He has mentored several outstanding designers, who have since made a successful career in this art sector. As an advisor to the Academy’s lighting design curriculum, Mr Cheung ensures that it reflects current industry standards and trends. By bridging the academic and professional realms, he has given students the opportunity to acquire valuable practical experience, preparing them for successful entry into the professional field.

Thanks to his exceptional artistry, technical expertise and commitment to nurturing talent, Mr Cheung is now one of Hong Kong’s foremost masters in the field. His achievement exemplifies the extraordinary possibilities open to the Academy’s graduates.