Drive to stardom

EVENT Infiniti’s first Hong Kong showroom grand opening
WHERE Hutchison House, Central

HAPPENINGS: The premium luxury vehicle division of Nissan Motor Company moved its global headquarters from Yokohama, Japan, to Hong Kong last year and just made yet another mark in town by opening its first showroom. To commemorate the occasion, Infiniti flew in its much-hyped concept car, Essence – a sleek hybrid electric sports coupe designed to celebrate the brand’s 20th anniversary.

Infiniti executives were joined by local stars such as Jennifer Tse, Zelia Zhong and Carl Ng, while DJ EROK spinned for the party. Famous artist and veteran comic writer Lee Chi-ching gave guests a pleasant surprise by sketching the Hong Kong skyline with impressive Chinese ink strokes.

CHIC CHAT with Lee Chi-ching

Tell us how you hone your skills.
Like walking, sketching is a part of my life. It's therapy for me. I never go anywhere without my sketching pad.

You've been tracing the Hong Kong skyline for decades, how do you like its changes?
Some old places I grew up with are soon becoming collective memories. I miss the kind of community we used to have. When I was a child, we would leave the door open at night, but now I don't even know my neighbour's last name.

How has technology affected comic novelists?
Very few artists draw by hand now because of the popularity of computer illustrations. But I don't think computers can replace everything. I still enjoy painting by hand. [You can spot errors and feel the] connection you have with pen and paper. But technology can be useful as well. More people are sharing their work online, which is good for the industry.