Almost four years after his death, one of Hong Kong's most famous artists is about to receive an honour that many believe is long overdue: a large-scale exhibition of his works.
But Tsang Tsou-choi was no ordinary artist. Better known as the 'King of Kowloon', Tsang spent decades covering the city with stark black calligraphy staking his claim to the Kowloon peninsula, continually returning to the same locations whenever government officers painted over his works.
When Tsang died at the age of 86 in 2007, there were 25 complete works scattered throughout the city, but only four remain today. And even though the authorities have tried to erase Tsang's legacy from the city's streets, the upcoming exhibition of 300 Tsang works spread over Swire Properties' 20,000-sq-ft ArtisTree space in Quarry Bay will play an important role in keeping his memory alive.
'We think that Choi Suk [Uncle Choi] is part of Hong Kong's history and we want to present a comprehensive record so that visitors can think about his life as well as the meaning of art and creativity,' says Babby Fung Siu-ling, head of Swire Properties' office marketing.
Fung was part of the team that co-organised the exhibition, titled Memories of King Kowloon, with Tsang's long-time artist friend, Joel Chung Yin-chai. Chung has actively campaigned for the preservation of Tsang's legacy in the city and owns one of the largest collections of Tsang's calligraphic works.
But putting together the exhibition has been a democratic process. 'Our vision is somewhat along the same lines - neither I nor Swire want to make a judgment on Tsang's works,' says Chung, who has loaned part of his collection of Tsang's works, including calligraphy on various objects from paper and wooden boards to T-shirts and even a vinyl bear figurine.
