The creation of this series of paintings focused on my exploration of Sham Shui Po was a yearlong project that aimed to highlight the local Hong Kong culture in its glory.
As I worked on these paintings, I was able to experiment with painting styles and mixed different materials to create different textures and patterns on canvas. I was able to showcase my experimental side as an artist, as well as express the feeling of nostalgia, and the warmth of the everyday life in Hong Kong.

This exhibition with Colour Brown Cafe expresses many elements of Sham Shui Po’s charm. Alongside the 14 paintings I have created, the exhibition also collaborates with the cafe to host a little vintage thrift pop up shop to allow visitors to find items that people in the neighborhood wanted to sell. They sold old DVDs, accessories, books, and anything that carried years of memories that people were ready to let go.

Setting up the exhibition in a way that allowed people to feel as though they were stepping into an older time was an idea we felt was necessary to carry the nostalgic theme of the exhibition.

As an artist, there are many lessons I learned in hosting a solo exhibition. So many factors came into play that I encountered sooner than I felt ready for: promotional and marketing strategies, workshops for the exhibition, content for the exhibition, etc. In retrospect, there were many factors that came into play that were more challenging to do than the actual art itself, all of which involved promotional content and marketing. This exhibition pushed me to step out of my comfort zone and let my artworks be communicated to the public through many different means, whether through social media or giving people tours and workshops.

During the exhibition, we organized a few online workshops showcasing how I create some of these paintings. I did some live painting workshops and hosted them on Instagram to explain some techniques I used, using oil pastel to illustrate some famous landmarks in Sham Shui Po. I enjoyed doing these live workshops online because I was able to connect with people in a more interactive way.

More than that, I enjoyed speaking to people at the exhibition who expressed curiosity in art and had their own unique perspectives. It is impressive how you can learn about a person just by understanding their own narrative of a piece of artwork. This art show allowed me to understand people I have never met using art as a bridge to express one’s own vulnerabilities and unique points of view.

Peak into the exhibition through my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18049028843160452/

The full album of my paintings are on here: https://hippiefart.com/artwork/2/