Remarkably free Hong Kong Street Art makes fantastic destination for all people
City lanes and alleys transformed by Hong Kong Street Art
Commercial hoarding, 49 Aberdeen Street, Central
Vibrant Hong Kong Street Art hubs
The city’s forgotten lanes and alleys have been transformed into Hong Kong street art sites and vibrant hubs of creativity.
Victoriano, 2024, Chung Wo Lane & Staunton Street, Central
Local artist Tsang Tsou-choi’s protests for royal recognition began in the form of calligraphy scrolled on walls, lampposts and electrical boxes in the 1950s.
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For several decades, his messages, which included his name, grievances against British rule, and his claim to the throne of Kowloon, were considered a nuisance and quickly painted over.
King of Kowloon graffiti icon
“King of Kowloon” Tsang Tsou Choi, Miniature (1:12th scale) by Ian Choim
However, over the decades, his omnipresent scribbles became a part of Hong Kong’s urban landscape, and Tsang, colloquially known as the King of Kowloon, became a graffiti icon.
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These days, it is difficult to find his art on the streets as it now adorns art galleries and museums.
Hera, 2024, 70 Bridges Street & Rozario Street, Sheung Wan
The King of Kowloon’s rise to prominence paralleled public acceptance of graffiti as an art form. Like Tsang’s calligraphy, graffiti began as early as the 1960s as a form of social commentary, political protest, or to mark gang territory.
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Initially, graffiti was just words, known as tags, written illegally on public spaces, rail cars and in subway stations. In the 1970s, tags, adorned with colour and imagery, became more artistic.
Anonymous graffiti, Aberdeen Street, Central
The expression of young artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring on New York public spaces gained a popular following.
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By the 1980s, Basquiat and Haring were receiving commissions to create public murals. Their success helped graduate graffiti from public vandalism to valued street art.
Street Art Hong Kong
A similar process occurred in England when, in 1994, an artist calling himself Banksy adopted a stencil technique to create a distinctive – and fast – style to express his satirical and provocative ideas.
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Still operating as a street artist, whenever a new Banksy appears, it attracts an international following.
Innerfields, 2023, 8 Wa In Fong East (B), Sheung Wan
In Hong Kong, the opportunity to appreciate public art began in earnest when property developers installed sculptures around their buildings in the 1970s, such as those by Henry Moore adorning Jardine House and Exchange Square.
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Then, in 1998, the MTR Corporation began commissioning art for installation in each station. There is now at least one artwork at each stop.
Home with a View, Lucia N.Y. Cheung, 2003
Local artist Lucia N.Y. Cheung’s glass mosaic mural, Home with a View, takes pride of place inside the Central MTR station.
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Works of another local artist, Frog King (a.k.a. Kwok Mang-ho), are immortalised in the gardens around Ho Man Tin MTR station.
Frog King, Kwok Mang-ho
He readily credits the King of Kowloon as his artistic father, as can be seen in his similar freehand calligraphy style.
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Public art in Hong Kong became significantly more prevalent just over ten years ago when an international art fair directed at affluent collectors inspired others to organise adjacent events.
Frogtopia Arch, 2016, Frog King (Kwok Mang-ho) and Frog Queen (Cho Hyun-jae)
Art Basel made its first Hong Kong appearance in March 2013; the following year, the HKwalls timed its street art festival to coincide.
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The year after, Art Central began gracing the Central Harbourfront, and over the years, March became known as Arts Month.
Satr, 2024, Chung Wo Lane, Central
The non-profit HKwalls can be credited for creating broad public acceptance of street art.
Their coordinated efforts to obtain permission from building owners and then arrange local and international artists for a weeklong festival have revitalised forgotten streets and alleys, transforming them into vibrant hubs of creativity, with their legitimacy confirmed by sponsorship from the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
Morning Dynamics, Remi Rough, 2018, Quarry Bay MTR station
The commercial/non-profit collaboration came full circle in 2018 when renowned English street artist Remi Rough – in Hong Kong for a commission for the Taikoo Place exit of the Quarry Bay MTR station – completed an outdoor mural for HKwalls.
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The HKwalls festival output is still adorning Central, Sheung Wan, Sai Ying Pun, Wong Chuk Hang, Stanley Market, Sham Shui Po and Sai Kung buildings.
Invader, 2017, Ground Floor, near Ocean Terminal Cross Border Coach Terminal, Tsim Sha Tsui
Another street artist whose work graces our streets is Invader, a Frenchman who has been decorating Hong Kong for over twenty years.
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He creates murals by cementing coloured tiles to bridge pillars and building sides. 8-bit video game characters inspire his artwork, which can be seen across Hong Kong but are most easily found at Harbour City, which in 2017 commissioned eighteen of his creations.
Invader, 2017, Star House, Tsim Sha Tsui
Invader is not the only artist with commissioned work. Businesses across Hong Kong have customer-attracting, Instagram-worthy murals promoting their business.
Tsang Tsou-choi, the King of Kowloon, passed away in 2007, but his defiant scribbles were preminiscent of a new art form.
Neil Wang, 2021, Man Yee Playground, Sai Kung
His simple protests connected our city to the pioneers of street art. Economic prosperity and a growing appreciation of original street art are creating spaces where people want to converge.
Building mural, 53 Hollywood Road, Central
Commercial, civil and non-profit organisations are seeing this value, leading to renewed investment.
Open-air art captivates Hong Kong
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As street art continues to evolve, Hong Kong’s open-air galleries promise to remain a captivating testament to the power of art.
Restaurant signage, 14D Elgin Street, Central
Text & Photos Martin Wray
