Gary Yeung of Urban Sketchers
Hong Kong seems to reinvent itself constantly, but art collective Urban Sketchers Hong Kong is trying to preserve its heritage by sketching the city. Co-founder Gary Yeung tells Priscilla Yu about capturing the SAR in his drawings.
HK Magazine: How did you get into urban sketching?
Gary Yeung: I started drawing in 2006 but became more engaged in urban sketching in 2008. I realized the city is changing too fast, and I want to use my talents to record its facets and evoke some resonance. Drawing for me is not about sketching the prettiest thing, but rather it is a tool to reveal the truth in society. I try to post every sketch I do on my blog, alongside a description. I think it is more like “sketching with poetry.”
HK: How do people react when you’re sketching?
GY: I am so happy when people appreciate my art. While I was sketching a wall tree on Kennedy Road, people offered me free drinks, and another time, someone gave me cupcakes. But unpleasant things have happened too. While I was drawing in Nan Lian Garden, security asked me to leave, saying that I’d mess up the garden.
HK: What changes have you noticed over the years?
GY: Things are always changing, but a good example is Kwun Tong’s Yue Man Square. It used to be part of Kwun Tong city center, with lots of tong laus, residential buildings and all sorts of crowds. But now all the blocks and streets are empty, and the shops are closed for the redevelopment project. I feel so sorry for all the residents who were forced to move away. Redevelopment in Hong Kong is often the same routine—turning a place into a giant air-conditioned mall with chain stores and residential buildings on top; I doubt this is the ideal way to redevelop a city.
HK: How do your sketches reflect Hong Kong politics?
GY: I sketched both the Northeast New Territories Development protest and the July 1 rally, and posted the images. Later, a board member from a sketching group in the US contacted me and wanted to repost my drawing. It surprised me, because I don’t think my sketches are political, but they do show these parts of our lives. Hong Kong people should see themselves as a unit, and care about their environment and government policies. Of course, I do hope there will be universal suffrage—with public nomination for both the CE and LegCo.
