Seeking Out Street Art in Hong Kong
When I travelled to Hong Kong, I was expecting a mix of traditional Chinese aesthetics and Blade Runner-esque ambience. Neon lights. Energetic markets. Windows full of egg tarts and roasted duck. What I found when roaming the sloping hills of Hong Kong island and Kowloon was an immerse spread of street art that turned the city streets into something of an open-air gallery.
Now when I think of Hong Kong, I think of those murals of graffiti and how they had served as beacons towards adventures I probably would have never found otherwise.
If you love street art, here are my recommendations for where to go to Hong Kong to find the most jaw-dropping murals and graffiti:
Sheung Wan
The up and coming neighbourhood of Sheung Wan is a visual playground. One of the first places you should head is to the Kwong Fuk Ancestral Hall, which is a haven for artists with disabilities. The local artist Chen Ka-yan covered the building in a bright mural of geometric shapes, attention-grabbing colours, and the name of deities and Buddhist prayers.
HKwalls 2015 Bruce Lee | *image: XEVA
Tank Lane is another place to find incredible artwork. The favourite here is the mural dedicated to Bruce Lee, which was created by Xeva, a renowned South Korean artist. Aside from the Bruce Lee’s mural, many international graffiti artists have bedecked Tank Lane with hundreds of designs.
Sai Ying Pun
Bas-relief mural by Louise Soloway Chan @ Sai Ying Pun MTR | *image: Flickr
Unfortunately, Sai Ying Pun is undergoing some gentrification, if you head towards the Antique street and Man Ho Temple, you will find winding roads lined with bars, restaurants, boutique shops, and street art.
Much of the artwork is where you’d least expect it, so glance down every alleyway, walk up and down the sloping streets, and seek out the nooks and crannies that open up to hidden green spaces between buildings.
I spent hours in Sai Ying Pun and found at least 30 different pieces of street art of varying sizes.
Central
Ren Wei’s SHEEP | *image: HKWalls
Not far from Central Station is the La Galerie Paris 1839—a photography gallery. However, the outside walls are constantly getting updated with a new mural that is brightly coloured and mesmerizing.
You never know what you are going to find on display.
Another spot is Elgin Street in Central that has a collaboration between the British street artist Dan Kitchener, known as Dank, and Charles Williams. The mural uses Dank’s urban impressionism and mixes it with the realism of a rainy day in Hong Kong (pictured above).
The picture was inspired by the charity called Feeding Hong Kong and offers up some thought-provoking elements.
Mong Kok’s Wall of Fame
Though there is an unfathomable amount of graffiti in Mong Kok, the one that stuck out to me the most is the acclaimed section called the Wall of Fame. This is where once fledgeling graffiti stars like Parent’s Parents sprayed their first design.
What makes it special is that there’s always a new piece of street art popping up, adding to the layers of graffiti history that colour the walls. As the images pile on top of one another, it creates a kaleidoscope of ideas and styles.
- Related: Christmas in Hong Kong
- Related: Travel Street Photography in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is the holy grail of street art because international artists have their mark on the city. If you are truly interested in the street art of this incredible city, then I also recommend using the HK Urban Canvas app to find all the local shutter work or visiting the HKwalls website to learn more about the street art movement.
Trust me. You won’t be disappointed!
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Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article are the author’s and in no way reflect the views and/or opinions of Fat Starfish.
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Valerie Taylor
Valerie is a nomadic dancer who has lived abroad for over 7 years, spending most of her time in Japan, Singapore, and Australia. Aside from dance and fitness, she spends her time on outdoor adventures, international travel, working as a freelance writer, and sampling coffee from around the globe.