An amazing journey to rediscover West Kowloon

The community provides one of the most vibrant sources of inspiration for artists. Old streets, mom-and-pop shops, groceries run by minority groups, wet markets, tenement buildings, temples, and the very people who inhabit these spaces present mesmerising contrasts between the new and the old.

In Hong Kong, Yau Ma Tei, Jordan and the neighbouring thriving West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) form a special belt that is abundant with cultural icons, historical heritage and old traditions – all of which are fantastic fuel for one’s creativity. Within the belt, places that host the most authentic sides of Hong Kong such as the old Yau Ma Tei police station, the Yau Ma Tei Theatre, the sometimes chaotic and raucous Yau Ma Tei fruit market, and the crowded night market on Temple Street are just a stone’s throw away from the ultra-modern cultural facilities and vast open space of the WKCD.

The West Kowloon Community Art Creation Project was jointly launched by the Department of Cultural and Creative Arts (CCA) and the Hong Kong Tourism Board in July and August last year, with the aim to document the districts of Yau Ma Tei, Jordan and the WKCD through various forms of art. In the months following the launch, 36 CCA students canvassed and explored the three districts to get a feel for the atmosphere and observe their physical and human landscapes, talk to local folks to understand their stories, and be inspired. Such inspirations were translated into hundreds of art pieces under 12 different themes, all representing the characteristics of these districts. The project was wrapped up in the “Journey to the West Kowloon”, an exhibition housed at the Arts Pavilion of WKCD between 1 June and 17 June, where over 250 pieces of artwork were showcased.

Dr Sunnie He Yang from CCA was the Curator of the exhibition. She said that an extremely fast rhythm dictates the way Hong Kong people live their lives, so they rarely have the time to stop and experience the city they live in. She added, “We hope that audiences who visit the exhibition will enjoy the artworks on display. It is also our hope to plant seeds of art in the community, generate warmth through recognition and regeneration, and form a shared space of harmony and integration.”

Yoyo Chan and Winnie Lok, both fifth-year students in the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Creative Arts and Culture and Bachelor of Education (Honours) (Visual Arts) co-terminal double degree programme, were two of the four student curators of the exhibition. Yoyo said that since people were unable to travel outside Hong Kong during the pandemic, the exhibition provided Hong Kong residents with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the traditional sides of the city. She hoped it would stimulate viewers to go off the beaten path from their own communities to discover the unknown.  

At the main hall of the exhibition venue, audiences were presented with the 12 themes the different artworks embodied, assembled by the 36 participating CCA students: Aging, Candid, Congeal, Corner, Filmo-Metro, Glamour, Hidden Map, Journey to Yau Ma Tei, Our Neighbour, Spotlight, Śūnyatā and That’s the Way to Plant Red Apples. Using many different materials, the students expressed their ideas through various forms ranging from paintings, sculptures, installations, photography to multi-media art. 

The artworks were a combination of individually created pieces and collaborations. “Spotlight”, an exhibit created by Yoyo and Winnie, comprised a collection of vinyl records, with sleeves depicting landmarks from the districts. “When we strolled through the neighbourhood of West Kowloon, we were impressed by many of its historical buildings,” said Winnie. “Vinyl records, once relied upon by the older generation to listen to music, were made obsolete many years ago. However, these days they have been making a comeback, and have become popular with young people again over the last decade. We hope the vinyl in our artwork serves as a bridge between different generations, and encourages people of different ages to understand our community through art.”

“Filmo-Metro” was produced by three other CCA students: Hailey Chan, Nora Wong and Thea Pang. The trio visited the filming locations of seven well-known Hong Kong movies in the districts. Spurred by the wistfulness these places evoked, they drew classic scenes from the movies and overlaid them with still photographs of the filming locations. “Glamour”, a glowing installation art created by five first-year students, was composed of neon light signs that immersed audiences in the nostalgic sentiment of Temple Street, Public Square Street, Battery Street and Kwun Chung Street. Such pieces give rise to contemplations on what things inevitably change or remain the same over time.

Apart from working on their own art pieces, CCA students also led workshops in the community and in schools, teaching primary and secondary school students how to create art that captures the spirit of the districts. Artworks produced by primary and secondary students in the form of cyanotypes, mosaics, neon lights and collages were displayed at the entrance floor of the venue. With her strong passion for art education, Winnie thoroughly enjoyed the process of guiding school students to create art.

This exhibition was not the first time that Yoyo and Winnie had cooperated in a project. From the moment they met in their first year of university, the pair have worked closely together numerous times, developing between them a good rapport. “Journey to the West Kowloon” will most likely be their final collaboration at the university; the exhibition serves as the perfect end to their five-year studies at EdUHK as well.

Although both of them developed a passion for art and design while studying at secondary school, their passions have been hugely strengthened through five years of classroom studies, as well as organising exhibitions and other community-based art projects. Yoyo said that art made her what she is today. “I learnt Chinese calligraphy when I was five. I took visual arts at secondary school,” she recalled. “At CCA, my exposure to art was immensely expanded, for we needed to learn many different forms of art, including photography, ceramics, sculpting and dancing. These were completely new areas to me and enriched my experiences a lot.”

Yoyo’s observations were echoed by Winnie. She said, “Studying at CCA has changed me. I am naturally an introvert. At CCA, I needed to try new things. I acquired new knowledge and skills, like dancing. I helped in many different exhibitions throughout my five years of studies. These experiences transformed me. I feel more at ease in connecting with people and expressing my ideas now.”

The co-terminal double degree programme is aimed at training students as both art educators and artists in the traditional sense. “Besides teaching us traditional art subjects like photography, ceramics and sculpting, the five-year programme also prepares us to become curators for art museums and galleries, administrators of art and cultural organisations, and researchers in cultural studies,” Winnie said.

Yoyo said that art has become an important part of her life. To pass on her enthusiasm for art, she will take up her new role as a visual arts teacher at a secondary school this autumn. While some of the conventional career choices for graduates of the programme include becoming a professional artist, designer or art educator, Winnie is considering working as an art administrator or art curator.

In fact, Winnie believes daily life is art. “Whenever I take a walk through the community, I always discover new things and ideas that I could turn into artistic creations,” she said. While every exhibition comes to an end at some point, people continue to live out their daily lives in the community, providing stimulation for generations of artists to come in the years ahead.

Click here for Instagram sharing by students.