Life.Culture.Discovery.

Street art in Hong Kong given the chance to shine thanks to HKwalls mural programme that gives young artists a platform for their passion

Thanks to a youth mentorship programme organised by HKwalls, five murals by five Hong Kong-based artists add a lively touch to Central’s AIA Vitality Park

HKwalls co-founder Jason Dembski says the programme gives emerging young artists a platform to build their confidence and to work with established artists

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Ahmad Rida Nisar with her mural, outside the AIA Vitality Park at Central Pier. She is one of five young artists taking part in a youth mentorship programme organised by HKwalls. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Published: 4:45pm, 12 May 2022

Ahmad Rida Nisar’s mural is whimsical: there’s a peacock with its tail in full bloom, a camel under a night desert sky and a trippy tree and mushrooms that would happily fit into a scene from Alice in Wonderland. It’s easy to see why the 23-year-old Chinese-Pakistani artist is eyeing a career in prop design.

The piece puts you in a good mood but Nisar admits there were challenges during the three-week creation process.

“There were moments of intense heat and torrential rain and I was also observing Ramadan,” says Nisar, referring to Islam’s holy month during which Muslims fast every day from dawn to sunset.

Nisar is one of five artists taking part in this year’s youth mentorship programme organised by HKwalls, a non-profit organisation that helps open doors for young street artists.

Five murals by the five Hong Kong-based artists – each measuring two metres (6.6 feet) by five metres – add a lively touch to the wall of Central’s AIA Vitality Park on Hong Kong Island.