Introduction — Description of the theme and subject matter
Hong Kong Island is a vibrant and bustling city that is known for its eclectic mix of modern skyscrapers, traditional temples and bustling markets. But one aspect of the city that really stands out is the colorful and dynamic graffiti that can be found on the streets and buildings. From large-scale murals to smaller tags and stencils, Hong Kong Island is a canvas for street artists to express themselves and add a splash of color to the urban landscape.
The graffiti scene on Hong Kong Island is a reflection of the city’s diversity and creativity. Artists from all over the world come to Hong Kong to make their mark on the city, creating a rich tapestry of styles and techniques. Some graffiti is political or social commentary, while others are simply decorative and whimsical. Walking through the streets of Hong Kong Island, you can easily get lost in the beauty and energy of the graffiti adorning the walls and buildings.
Despite the ephemeral nature of street art, graffiti of Hong Kong Island has become an integral part of the city’s cultural identity. Some works are so iconic that they have become landmarks in their own right, attracting tourists and locals alike to admire and appreciate the artistry on display. The graffiti of Hong Kong Island is a testament to the city’s resilience and creativity, and serves as a reminder of the power of art to change and inspire.
Although the graffiti in Hong Kong has always been a sight for tourists, their existence has also caused discontent among the city’s residents. As it is a form of vandalism, the Hong Kong police and city government have gone to great lengths to remove some of them. After several decades, there is less and less graffiti in public spaces in Hong Kong, apart from a few spots where graffiti are painted on buildings with permission. The most expressive form of street art is slowly waning from the city’s history over time.
In fact, the history of graffiti dates back to prehistoric times. Murals and paintings can be found on ancient cave walls, in ancient Greek pottery and even in the Sistine Chapel, where the most astonishing graffiti known to man was created. It is one of the oldest and most down-to-earth forms of art. It reflects our feelings and emotions through objects that we look at every day. In that sense, it is actually a natural phenomenon that they appeared on the streets of Hong Kong. But will they survive the modern age of industrialization and urbanisation, or will they fade away and eventually become a long-forgotten memory? Time will eventually answer these questions.
Method for conducting the research and producing the video
The unique visual impact of these vibrant colors amidst the dense concrete jungle of Hong Kong has always caught my attention ever since I first set foot on the streets. To study them systematically and get an overview of the graffiti in Hong Kong’s cityscape, I first researched online for the most popular graffiti locations around Central, Hong Kong Island. After my research, I found out that most of them can be found in the alleys and on the sidewalks of Sheung Wan. This is where the population is concentrated, and combined with the hilly terrain in this region, it created an area with buildings arranged in a picturesque disorder, making it a perfect place for street artists to work on their creations. Unlike other places in Hong Kong, graffiti is ubiquitous here, but has completely different styles depending on where it is painted. It is a form of visual language that can be perceived by the people who live in these places. During this field trip, my friend and I visited numerous places from Kennedy Town to Central and collected a large amount of photo and video footage of the graffiti we found. These photos and videos were taken from angles that reveals the relationships between these graffiti and the space surrounding them, as the camera view always contains a panorama of the graffiti prepared for further analysis.
Reflections
Of all these places, Art Lane is the most famous, next to Sai Ying Pun MTR station. It is the biggest stage for graffiti artists and every year famous artists from all over the world come here to visit this place. As this graffiti is painted in the open air and with permission, you will notice that they use more bright, soft colors, covering the whole building and becoming an integral part of it, while featuring less of the “graffiti style”, in other words, the abstract figures or the iconic exaggerated outlines that we often find in graffiti. This formed a stark contrast to what we found in the small alleyways not far from here. The graffiti hidden in these corners is also artistic, but clearly has a very different art style. The colors are bold and saturated, while the content is about scary monsters or demons with a sense of violence. They stand out from the building they are on, giving the viewers a strong sense of identity and uniqueness, as if they are breaking free from the shackles of the plane they exist on. The graffiti on the main streets is more of an in-between, sometimes graffiti of both types can be found.
Conclusion
Graffiti in Hong Kong or any other city is always an understudied topic that should be given more attention. The trend and attitude towards graffiti in our living spaces reflect the current living status, social and economic conditions of the urban population as a whole. Being the longest-lived art in human history, we can actually learn a lot from these colorful languages we are born with.
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