I would love to share my brain and my heart for a few hours with your community!
Here are a few of the most popular talks and workshops. If you have something specific in mind, please reach out and we can discuss!
Sliding scale is available for non-profit organisations.
The World of 2084--
How to Build Your Own World
Aged 10+ / university students / adults
Have you ever wondered how authors, filmmakers and artists spin an entire universe with its
own unique climate, geography, inhabitants, system and technology (or magic)? How do you
eat real-life encounters, historical research and current events, digest and regurgitate them
into your own style, voice and story?
In this session, I shares working processes behind my lifelong worldbuilding project “The
World of 2084”, a lifelong project that grew out of an afternoon dream. 2084 revolves around
building a grand ecotopian/dystopian world in the corresponding year. There are five
imaginary countries (G5, the Great Five Industrial Nations) in total: Contradictoria,
Northlandia, Dreamland, the Aristocratic Union and the Republic of Strata.
This lecture is ideal for studio art, literature and interdisciplinary students, and for the general
audiences interested in the arts.
1-1.5 hours
HKD3000/h + travel fee online / in-person

Northlandia and the Arctic
Ruled by the Ice Queen (a polar bear ice sculpture) and populated with various magical animal creatures, Northlandia is a surreal arctic tale of the precarious balance between human greed and the magical landscape,
between the north and the rest of the world and between self-preservation and the rapidly changing climate.
In fall 2022, I travelled to the world’s northernmost town, Longyearbyen, and arctic Svalbard to conduct research and create artworks for my imaginary arctic country Northlandia.
In this talk, I share my personal Arctic journey and the Northlandia Arctic Woodcuts crafted on site, along with the subsequent artworks I’ve been creating since the life-changing residency. I also share scholarly and journalistic insights on climate change and the delicate Arctic landscape.
This talk is perfect for students and general audiences interested in climate change/environmental art, environmental studies, arctic studies and studio art.
1-1.5 hours
HKD3000/h + travel fee
online / in-person



Woodcut Painting Artist Demonstration
Watch as the artist makes a piece of woodcut painting in front of your eyes in this super popular artist demonstration.
I get asked “how did you make this art?” all the time. Woodcut Painting is a unique medium that combines traditional woodcut and painting and drawing techniques.
In 2018, I embarked on a crazy woodcut project “Polluta Propaganda Woodcuts” that encompasses 99 woodblocks and taught myself how to carve wood. Five years later, having carved over 100 woodblocks, I realised I was obsessed with carving. Combining carving with drawing and painting—the origin of my artistic journey, I’ve developed a signature style woodcut painting.
1 hour
HKD3000 + travel fee
In-person only




“Akin to her artwork, Michelle and her talk are captivating. Her guest lecture for my interdisciplinary course “Readings in New English in Literatures”, centring on the futuristic world of 2084, is an extravaganza of visual narratives, storytelling and sociocultural imaginings. Combining her decades of research and artistic practices, insights on current environmental issues, and passion and humour, Michelle’s talk demonstrates to the class the way in which art and cultural form can profoundly shape, and be shaped by contemporary issues, and moreover, how different modes of storytelling help to evoke hope and enable transformation amid the increasing impacts of climate change.
I want to thank Michelle for giving us this gift. I highly recommend her to other cultural and education institutions who seek for an engaging, knowledgeable, and passionate interdisciplinary artist, researcher and speaker.”
Dr. Jamie Wang, research assistant professor at the Education University of Hong Kong
author of Reimagining the More-Than-Human City (MIT Press 2024)
“We enjoyed your talk last year that focused on how you pursued your passion in the arts, love of animation (ie Laputa), travel (ie trip to Antarctica), and used it as a form of expression to bring about an important message to your audience (ie sustainability). Last year, you inspired students to use woodblock, sculpture, and film making as a form of expression to share their stories.
We hope this year, you can do the same. Please come and inspire our G5 students to be risk-takers and explore the different ways to tell their story.”
Grade 5 Learning Leader
Canadian International School of Hong Kong
I regularly conduct talks, lectures and workshops at schools, universities, clubs and institutions.
Selective past speaking engagements:
The Royal Geographical Society – Hong Kong
The University Museum and Art Gallery, the University of Hong Kong
LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore
European University Cyprus, Cyprus
The University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Hong Kong Baptist University
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
The Education University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong Public Libraries
Canadian International School of Hong Kong
Australian International School Hong Kong
International College, Hong Kong
Renaissance College, Hong Kong
Sheung Shui Government Secondary School, Hong Kong
Helen Liang Memorial Secondary School, Hong Kong