Simon Birch
Former DJ and promoter Simon Birch has hit it big in the Hong Kong art world with his street culture-inspired portraits. He talks to Pavan Shamdasani about art, life and free noodles.
You shouldn’t believe what I say. Questions provoke lies, especially when there is no answer.
My hands are insured for US$1 million. I had a bad motorbike crash where I broke my fingers – now I can’t bend my little finger properly. So when I paint, it drags across the canvas and creates little marks.
The price tag on my paintings? These days anywhere between $60,000 to $250,000.
I came from a poor background, from a working-class town in England. I had no opportunity to go to art school when I was kid, so I spent 10 years just making a mess of my life.
When I arrived in Hong Kong, in 1997, I was bankrupt and fucked-up.
Then I made the decision to do something creative. Hong Kong is a city that encourages fresh starts and reinvention. Art really did save me.