Hong Kong—Pearl Lam Galleries SOHO proudly presents Hidden Street, its first community project, featuring nine Hong Kong-based street artists: 4get, Anny, Bao, Cath Love, Felipe Wong, Hadrian Lam, Peter Yuill, Sinic, and Uns. The artists will transform the gallery space into a street art corner that reflects Hong Kong local culture. From 10–13 August, the Hong Kong public will be invited to the gallery to view and participate in the creation of ‘live paintings’ through interactions with the artists. Visitors are encouraged to share the artists’ ‘hidden street art’ images on social media. On 14 August, there will be an opening party in the evening to celebrate the paintings’ completion. From 15 August–11 September, the gallery will present three artist talks, a talk by local indie band lead singer and illustrator Jan Curious, a youth works hop for ages 10–16, and screenings of On the Road, a street art travel documentary, which are all open to the public to make this a true community event. The gallery space with the completed street art installation will also be open for public viewing during this period.
As street art gains popularity around the world, Hong Kong street art culture has also been on the rise, as seen in Wipe Out, a recent exhibition by French street artist Invader at PMQ, and the ‘HKwalls’ street art festival. Street art engages explicitly with its environment. Artists can bring awareness to social issues or just simply brighten a dull wall and elicit an instantaneous reaction. This community engagement is what Pearl Lam Galleries SOHO hopes to achieve by inviting nine Hong Kong based street artists, who each play an important role in the local street art scene, to take over the gallery space. These artists have been chosen for the project as their works have strong connections with Sai Ying Pun and Sheung Wan, the areas that surround the Galleries. Their works are scattered around these neighbourhoods and have been mapped out by the Galleries for audiences to explore.
Sai Ying Pun is one of the older areas of Hong Kong Island with a rich multicultural history. Known as the “Western Encampment”, it was where the British military settled upon arrival in the early 1800s. It was also home to mainland Chinese immigrants and Europeans, who were assigned their own areas above High Street. Nowadays, Sai Ying Pun is a trendy up-and-coming neighbourhood known for its unique art scene, restaurants, and nightlife. As a pioneering Hong Kong art gallery in the area, Pearl Lam Galleries SOHO is dedicated to the promotion of emerging artists and designers, as well as established international designers. The Galleries is organising this project to emphasise art as a communal experience, and to bring attention to the talented street artists of Hong Kong.
To celebrate the completion of the works, a reception will be held on 14 August, 6–8pm. Guests will be able to create their own special edition Hidden Street T-shirt by participating in the DIY screen printing T-shirt workshop presented by PrintHouse Hong Kong.
Pearl Lam Galleries will be running an art campaign throughout the entire project period. Visitors are invited to draw inspiration from the Sai Ying Pun neighbourhood and the art project to create their own artwork at the gallery. Visitors will be asked to post their work on Instagram before the end of the project on 11 September, as five lucky participants will have the opportunity to receive an exclusive original artwork by one of the exhibiting street artists. Entries should contain the hashtags #PearlLamGalleries, #HiddenStreet, #hkstreetart, #PearllamgalleriesHKSoHo, and #Soho189, for the chance to win this amazing prize.
About the Artists
4get, a young artist who started creating street art since 2003, combines his experience as an artist from England and Hong Kong to create a vibe and flow understood only by the city.
Anny, born in Macao, received her Bachelor of Media Communications in Melbourne. Interning as an illustrator and graphics designer opened doors for her in the world of visual communications. Anny’s current practice furthers her exploration of where she has come from, as she experiments with a wider range of visual platforms.
Bao, a young self-taught artist, started to work as a street artist in 2014. Everything that she encounters has the potential to inspire her. Her works have been shown in different countries, including Australia, Italy, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Cath Love was born in Bangkok in 1984. She studied visual communication at the University of Newcastle in Australia before receiving her master’s in design at the University of Technology, Sydney in 2007. She is influenced by a multitude of Asian-style cartoons, combined with graffiti and hip-hop culture.
Felipe Wong is a graphic designer and illustrator, born in 1981 in Costa Rica, Central America. He received his BA in graphic design from the University of Costa Rica in 2000. Wong’s playful style, which consists of a very expressive visual language and sharp vivid colours, is influenced by commercial art due to his work in advertising and brand development for toys.
Hadrian Lam is a young street artist, as well as an architectural designer. Influenced by street artists and graffiti writers, he has been painting walls in interiors, public spaces, and abandoned buildings. His recent work explores the use of markers, spray paint, stencils, and brushwork.
Peter Yuill was born in Toronto, Canada. He received his BAA in illustration from Sheridan College in Ontario. Yuill grew up as a graffiti artist and urban explorer; he developed an intimate love affair with the streets and factories that have heavily influenced his work today. In 2012, he was awarded the Hong Kong Young Artist People’s Prize. He also received the American Illustration 27 Chosen Award. His works have been exhibited around Hong Kong and Ontario, Canada.
Sinic was born in 1983 in Hong Kong, and began his artistic career in 2003. He merges elegant western graffiti with arbitrary Chinese calligraphy in an attempt to blur the definition of creativity and tradition.
Uns is a young Hong Kong-born artist. Her primary mediums include drawing and painting, and sometimes sculpture, which she uses to create installations that aim at reflecting the fragmented nature of contemporary life. She is currently working with local artists on various mural projects, seeking different ways to expand her artistic practice.
