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This article is part of a Travel guide for Hong Kong by FT Globetrotter
When Berlin-born Alexandra Unrein moved to Hong Kong a few years ago, she immediately fell in love with the city’s dynamic street art. So much so that she began offering special tours. Her Wanderlust Walks meander through the alleys and showcase huge, abstract graphics that cover entire facades, as well as the subtle glyphs and symbols that blend into the city’s clutter.
“Compared to the Western world, street art is still incredibly underestimated and often goes unnoticed throughout Asia,” says the former flight attendant. “Unfortunately, Hong Kong is no exception.”
Unrein aims to remedy this. During my visit in March, I took a tour that begins in the Sheung Wan district on Lower Lascar Row. In a quiet courtyard under blooming bougainvilleas – and in the shade of dozens of floors of high-rise buildings – we encounter two striking figures embracing in a swirl of heart-shaped green and red leaves. “Stories in the Wind” (2023) is the work of Italian artist Marco Zedone, better known as Zed1. Inspired by both the surrounding foliage and the colors of the city as a whole, his pop-surrealist painting addresses the question of chance encounters and relationships, with the winds of fate swirling the figures around as the leaves – real and painted – swirl around them.
Central offers the city’s richest mix of outdoor artworks (though Kowloon and the New Territories also have their share). In nearby Water Lane, one of Algerian-born Ceet Fouad’s pop-art chickens offers a playful critique of the homogeneity of the modern world. A few metres further (and also around the corner on the façade of 36 Sai Street) we find works by Portuguese artist Alexandre Farto, also known as Vhils, whose faces etched into the building’s plaster are part of his Scratching the surface Project. In the role of an “urban archaeologist”, Farto studies the colors and textures of a building’s surfaces to give his compositions an organic depth.
Farto’s artworks were part of the 2016 edition of HKwalls, the annual street art festival that has been held throughout the city since 2014. If you visit in March, the many paint pots and bamboo scaffolding on the sidewalks announce the event’s arrival. While the city and its galleries teem with tens of thousands of visitors to the Art Basel fair, artists from all over the world leave their mark on the urban canvas.
This year, 32 artists – from Hong Kong, mainland China and further afield – have added new facets to the city’s public spaces. “When we first knocked on doors and asked for walls, not many people knew what street art was,” says Maria Wong, the festival’s executive director. Ten years later, owners of houses, shops and offices are eagerly coming forward to have their walls painted with stencils and spray paint.
“People are generally very happy when new works are created in the city,” says Wong. “They beautify the area and bring color and life to the city.”
Unrein takes us to Square Street, where Los Angeles-based Lauren YS (Squid Licker) is developing the concept of Subscribe — the yin-yang symbol — with Taoist temple aesthetics, traditional opera costumes, and vibrant portraits in “Mind Temple.” Against a pink-blue sunset, a tiger-dragon hybrid races along the wall, representing darkness and light.
With its constant contrast between wide streets and narrow alleys, Hong Kong’s theatrical dimension lends itself perfectly to painting. “To me, the city seems almost stereotypically urban,” says Unrein. “Street art feels like the cool tattoos on its skin, making it even more beautiful and unique.”
This is certainly the case at the intersection of Peel Street and Hollywood Road, where Uma Nota is located – the city’s first Brazilian-Japanese street food joint. We are not here because of the Frango Assadobut since last year, the restaurant has had another attraction in the form of a mural by Hong Kong-based French artist Elsa Jeandedieu. The scene, featuring smiling black-and-white faces alongside a colorful explosion of birds and flowers from Brazil and Japan, is a vibrant tribute to the meeting of different cultures – and cuisines.
Many of the artists contributing to the city’s street art scene are international, but there’s no shortage of local talent to discover either. Unrein names Kristopher Ho, Uncle, Zoie Lam and Bao Ho as just a few of the names to look out for, while Bao calls out Devil and Boms.
If you can’t find a particular work, it’s not necessarily because of your map interpretation; more likely it’s simply been painted over or updated. Wong estimates that most murals stay up for five years or less, with some staying up until 2016. “Street art is an ephemeral thing,” she says. The ephemerality is part of the fun.
Five highlights of HKwalls 2024
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Chinese artist Satr has expanded her international portfolio of black, white and red animal prints to include a striking fox (above). 15 Chung Wo LaneCentral
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A trippy interpretation of a traditional lion dance in costumes by Irish artist Aches. 21 Cadogan StreetKennedy City
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Bees, butterflies and leaves light up a sloping road, courtesy of Hong Kong-based Riitta Kuisma. Tung Cheung Building1 Second Street, Sai Ying Pun
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An enchanting cityscape in miniature by Belgian artist Jaune, whose trademark is the highly visible figures climbing the skyscrapers of Hong Kong. Hotel Lan Kwai Fong3 Kau U Fong, Central
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“Share Your Blessings,” one of German artist Hera’s three murals for HKwalls this year, is a tribute to artistic collaboration. 13 Third StreetSai Ying pun
Chris Allnutt travelled to Hong Kong as a guest of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts and the Hong Kong Tourism Authority
What is your favorite street art in Hong Kong? Tell us in the comments below. And follow FT Globetrotter on Instagram at @FTGlobetrotter
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