Art galleries invite children in to paint

Five-year-old Jovie Siu carefully sketches the outline of a jellyfish before dipping her brush into a plate of colour. She carefully fills in the contours with purple and pink paint. It's an activity that would be forbidden at home: she's painting on the wall - on the pristine walls of an art gallery, no less.

Many galleries take a break following the frenzy of Art Basel Hong Kong, but a handful have been using the lull over the summer to cultivate a new generation of art lovers.

Artify, a gallery that focuses on emerging artists working in paper or print, is among those that have opened their premises to children. More unusually, it allows youngsters to use the walls in its Chai Wan space as a canvas.

Sessions usually start with a brief introduction and discussion about what each child might like to paint.

"We let them do what they want," says gallery director Cherry Ho Tsz-ling.

"We offer some guidance if needed. Mainly, we encourage them to draw big," she says.