Graffiti artist M. Chat scales wall of Hong Kong hotel as he paints signature smiling cat
Thoma Vuille ascends Hotel Jen for nine-day project to bring ‘humour and humanity’ to city
A graffiti artist known for his iconic smiling cat paintings has started painting a huge mural on the side of a Hong Kong hotel.
M. Chat – real name Thoma Vuille – scaled the side of the Hotel Jen on Queen’s Road West on Saturday as he began work on his nine-day project.
The 38-year-old French-Swiss artist was strapped up in full climbing gear as he navigated the hotel’s scaffolding up to 40 metres above the ground.
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Later this week he also planned to paint a mural at wine cellar La Cabane on Hollywood Road in Central.
Speaking to the Post, Vuille said he wanted to bring “humour and humanity”to Hong Kong with his creations.
M. Chat's high level wall painting in Hong Kong - Day 1Witness one of the city’s largest wall paintings being drawn at Hotel Jen Hong KongDaily from 12 March (Saturday) to 18 March (Friday) (both days inclusive), Hong Kong art gallery, Art Supermarket and Hotel Jen Hong Kong will be collaborating to bring you a large-scale live painting performances the city has ever seen. Upcoming French artist M. Chat (“Monsieur Chat”, in English: “Mr. Cat”), will be doing his stuff on the exterior wall of Hotel Jen in the Western District. This unique live painting performance aims to bring more humanity and humor to Asia’s World City through the medium of art. It is also part of Art Supermarket’s coming-up exhibition Talking Animals, which starts from 5pm, 20 March (Sunday) 2016. Talking Animals featuring new artworks by M. Chat (“Monsieur Chat”, in English: “Mr. Cat”) and Hong Kong-based Australian artist Phil Hayes.For more information about the exhibition and the artist check our website: www.artsupermarketasia.comPosted by Art Supermarket on Sunday, March 13, 2016
He explained that in each of his paintings “the grinning cat aims to bring positive energy and a smile to the city”, or, as he put another way, to bring “a bit more humanity and humour” to the city.