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Tessa Chan

Vanessa Yung

Fatty Crab
When Southeast Asian "It" restaurant Fatty Crab opened its doors in 2013, they called on a handful of local artists to bring the space to life. Lyès-Olivier Sidhoum transformed their dining area, Caratoes worked on their al fresco backyard and Used Pencil turned the entire restaurant into a pop-up art gallery.
"We asked them to populate our dining room wall with street art representing New York and Asia," says owner Harsh Roopchand. "We are big fans of the creative process that goes into street art."

Lamma-based Used Pencil says he was given free reign by the restaurant's management to do his thing.
"They let me create a live mural that filled two rooms for the opening party. Harsh seemed very happy to see his restaurant transform into an exhibition space and I was delighted to do it."

Half-German and half-British, Used Pencil studied fine art sculpture and illustration in the UK. Within a year of moving to Hong Kong, he had an exhibition at Above Second gallery. In the years since, he's had installations exhibited at non-profit street art project HKwalls and music festival Clockenflap. In 2014, he won the local street art competition Secret Walls.
He says his style has "endless possibilities".

"I like to create things that people can look at with wonder," he says. "My mind runs wild with imagery that I release to stay sane. Recently, my illustrations have been coming alive on paper, street walls, wood, metal and anything that helps enhance their story." To build on Fatty Crab's "story", he wrote a poem, titled The Girl and the Terrapin, which tells the tale of a young girl trapped by tradition and family rules. "Every day she takes herself away to the family pond, that separates her from freedom. Every piece is a different take on that poem." TC

Fatty Crab, 11 Old Bailey Street, Central, fattycrab.com.hk
 
Mavericks
Hong Kong-grown crew Parent's Parents describe their work method as "messy". "There are four of us in the crew, so we usually start with a discussion or argument first, says Jimson, who, like many street artists, doesn't want to reveal his full name.

Jay FC, founder/creative director of laid back Lantau beachside restaurant and board shack Mavericks, met the crew through creative duo Graphic Airlines. "We'd worked together on other projects and they had the style I wanted - combining images and typography with really strong graphic elements. I also wanted a modern retro feel for Mavericks and they nailed it," he says.

"We wanted people to able to see the wall from the sea, far away, so we wrote 'wild horse' in huge letters on the wall based on Jay's idea, and mixed it with different elements such as: surfing, sea, trees and animals," says crew member Ysoo. "We only used black, teal, white and silver to keep the wall clean and eye-catching."

Parent's Parents say that commissions such as this provide them with the opportunity to spend longer time to work in more detail on one wall.
"It also helps bring the artist's work to an audience who might not normally be exposed to it," says Jay. "The local scene has never been better and is maturing really well. Projects like HKwalls are really helping to bring attention to the city's best artists." TC

Mavericks, Pui O Beach, South Lantau, mavericks.hk
 
La Cabane
Also by the prolific Parent's Parents is the colourful mural of a police car outside the wall of La Cabane Wine Cellar along Hollywood Road. The work is eye-catching, and can be seen as a reflection of the turmoil of our times.
"People are more aware of street art now that more overseas street artists such as JR, Cyrcle and D*Face have exhibited in Hong Kong," says crew member Wong Tin-yau.

La Cabane has actually been supporting street art for years. The wall previously featured a mixed piece - scattered with heart shapes - by Parisian street artist Nasty and Hopare. "We welcome local and international artists and don't tell them what to do," says Cristobal Huneeus, founding partner at La Cabane. "Instead, we ask them to use our walls as a blank canvas. We work alongside The Source and HKwalls to identify street artists in need of a wall. It's like a rotating exhibition."
The Bistro is also expanding its art decor, with recently created ones from artists such as Caratoes and Virginie Broquet. So next time you drop by to pick up some biodynamic wines and artisan products from France and Spain, go inside and pay a visit to the back of the shop. VY

La Cabane Wine Cellar, basement, 97 Hollywood Road, Central; La Cabane Bistro, G/F, 62 Hollywood Road, Central, lacabane.hk
 
Yoga BamBam
Melanie B., the British-Jamaican owner of Yoga BamBam, couldn't get enough of Bao Ho's work after the self-taught artist and illustrator painted a mural on the wall next to her studio during an HKwalls event in March. So much so that she has invited Ho back to draw on her studio's glass doors which are now covered in naked goddesses drawn in marker pens.
"I like mixing things - human bodies, animals, flowers, patterns," says Ho, who is still filling Yoga BamBam with her art in time for a Vernissage in a few weeks time. "YogaBamBam is a place that made me feel relax and inspired. It makes me think of the movement of bodies and some henna tattoo patterns, so I started to do my piece with these two elements."

Hongkongers are paying more attention to street art, Ho adds, and it's leading to opportunities inside galleries.
"After I did this work for YogaBamBam, I got commissioned to launch the opening of Madura Art Gallery in June. It'll be a good chance to share my art with more people."
Since its founding in 2014, Yoga BamBam has been supporting the local street art scene. For HKwalls' first annual Street Art Festival, Melanie B. let street artist 4get transform their metallic shutter; during the street party Pound Lane Market, fashion designer and artist Zoie Lam (better known as Zlism) covered the studio's mirrors with temporary ink during a live drawing session.

"In Paris, [where I moved from], art is everywhere, from mosaic Space Invaders popping up like mushrooms on our street corners to jazz music being played in almost every taxi ride home," says Melanie B. "Yoga BamBam organically turned into an art gallery because art is a part of everyday life."
She adds that the delicate, temporary nature of the works - even a misplaced finger on the mirror or glass panels will alter the art - echoes the essence of yoga. "This artistic fragility challenges yoga students to be totally mindful of their movement and the domino effect of uncontrolled action," she says. VY

Yoga BamBam, 28 Pound Lane, Sheung Wan, yogabambam.com
 
Jack's Fried Chicken
When it came to selecting the right artist to decorate the exterior of his new restaurant, chef and owner Jack Carson had an easy decision to make. His shop offered fried chicken, and there happened to be a street artist in town who had built a reputation painting chickens around the world.
That artist is Ceet Fouad, who goes by the street moniker CEET. "I've been painting chickens around the world, and he wanted to open a restaurant serving chicken, so the connection was natural," says the prolific artist, who first started painting in 1988 and has since exhibited his work in Asia, Europe and Morocco.

Fouad's chickens are a humorous poke at modern society, specifically its lack of individuality and the culture of "followers". This feeling of being just one of a homogenised mass particularly struck home with him when he left his home in France for densely populated China in 2003. He's currently the artist-in-residence at the vast Jardin Rouge art estate in Marrakech, and has provided his services for brands such as Prada and Adidas.
"Of course, it's not like Europe and the US - Hong Kong has a small street art scene, but it's very interesting," he says. "There are a lot of new artists, and it's getting better every year." TC

Jack's Fried Chicken, 78 Catchick Street, Kennedy Town, facebook.com/jacksfriedchickenhk
 
Print House HK
An antidote to mass-produced fashion, Print House HK offers a DIY experience of screen-printing your own T-shirt, either using your own or one of their designs.
"We provide a creative space for customers to come, hang out and create their own wearable works of art," says owner Hughie Doherty.
The store's front shutter, graced by 4get's graffiti, was the first in Stanley to get the street art treatment. "I like the accessibility of street art; it's all around you," says Doherty. "It's great to be able to talk to the artists and understand the thought process behind their work."
With his help, HKwalls managed to secure enough shutters to transform the beachside market at the recent HKwalls event in March.

"In Stanley, the goal was to paint the entire market and turn it into a gallery of street art," says Jason Dembski, co-founder of HKwalls. "We made big progress this year, painting 27 shutters, but there are still many to do. Over the next year, we would like to continue to paint more and more until the market is full."
Among the artists are Xeva, Mr Mena, Stern Rockwell, Aaron Kai and Egg Fiasco.
"The Stanley Market community embrace and appreciate the artwork and the artists we bring," says Dembski. "It is a breath of fresh air for them." VY
Print House HK, 125 Stanley Main Street, print-house.hk


Hong Kong street art gets a boost, thanks to support from local businesses

Fatty Crab. Photos: Bruce Yan

Safe in my shell.

Artist Used Pencil putting the finishing touch to a piece titled Ponder Deeply.

Artist Caratoes at work.

Parent's Parents on Hollywood Road.

I have your back.

Art by Mark Goss.

The Parent's Parents crew.

The interior of the restaurant features a mural from Start By Zero.

Yoga BamBam's owner liked it so much she invited Ho to illustrate her studio's glass doors.

A mural by artist Bao Ho, painted as part of a HKwalls event.

Ceet Fouad gets cracking on the walls outside Jack's Fried Chicken in Kennedy Town. Photos: Antony Dickson

A vibrant street art gallery by HKwalls at Stanley Market.

A mural by Parent's Parents outside Mavericks.

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Support from restaurants, bars and businesses is giving street artists a creative outlet. Meet some of the crew adding colour to our city


Support from restaurants, bars and businesses is giving street artists a creative outlet. Meet some of the crew adding colour to our city.


Hong Kong street art gets a boost, thanks to support from local businesses

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Support from restaurants, bars and businesses is giving street artists a creative outlet. Meet some of the crew adding colour to our city

Support from restaurants, bars and businesses is giving street artists a creative outlet. Meet some of the crew adding colour to our city