Tribute To Japan Street Art: Earthquake destroys Street Art Murals....

I can’t comment on the entire local art scene, but for the hipster circle I can offer a few insights. Recently people have been migrating to Chai Wan – a neighborhood at the far Eastern point of Hong Kong Island. In particular the building called Chai Wan Industrial City, is getting hotter. Home to several popular photography studios, the former warehouse is drawing more devotees due to its large spaces and cheap rents (a near impossible to find combination in Hong Kong!) Two new arrivals in particular have been bringing a new audience and vibe to the area.
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Tags: chai wan, chai wan industrial city, chancery lane annex hong kong, Chancery Lane gallery, Hong Kong graffiti, simon birch, six keyz, skateboard, Soho Hong Kong, street art

 street artists to showcase their work.

Tags: adam f, causeway bay, Electric Eel Shock, goldie, Hardpack, local bands,outdoor concert, Rockit, Rockit concert, Rockit Hong Kong, street art, Victoria park

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Chancery Lane Gallery Annex

 street art, Wing Shya

Before the Nike shop event, I headed out to the far east side of Hong Kong Island to a neighborhood called Chai Wan to attend the opening exhibition of a new gallery. The gallery is actually an extension of the Chancery Lane Gallery in Central’s Soho neighborhood. The new location is a massive warehouse / old factory building that has been subdivided.

When I got out of the elevator, I saw the familiar street art of Simon Birch, who was curating the opening show. Taking a right, I entered into a room with a mini half-pipe, with skaters in full session. On the side of the ramp were several hanging canvases. I had to warn a few of the gallery-goers to stay clear of the side of the ramp, just in case any runaway boards came shooting out – a lesson I learned the hard way about a decade ago! Ouch!


Next I walked over to the main gallery space which was packed with a diverse lot of art enthusiasts, enthusiastically consuming free drinks. The hallway leading into the main gallery featured stencils of superheroes flying through the air.

Although the gallery offered a larger space than most in Central, the big turnout made it seem small. Click the image below for a bigger version.

Along one wall were a bank of photos by Wing Shya.

Simon Birch also had two paintings on the same side.

Suspended from the ceiling were two large guns, each crafted using interesting materials.


The other featured artists included Cang Xin, Huang Rui, Anthony Lam, Li Wei, Tatsuyuki Tanaka (a famous anime artist,) and Stanley Wong.
Chancery Lane Gallery Annex address:
Chai Wan Industrial City, Phase 1, Unit 614
60 Wing Tai Road, Chai Wan
Hong Kong

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IdN 450 Square Feet Exhibition

July 6th, 2006

IdN put on an exhibition with the street art collective – ST/ART – featuring 450 individual 12″ by 12″ canvases. The significance of 450 square feet is that the Hong Kong government classifies the average apartment at 450 square feet. The exhibition aims to show that each foot can be made into something special.
Some of the images below can be clicked to reveal larger, more detailed photos.

Tags: gallery, Hong Kong art, IDN, START, street art

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Stephen Lau at IdN Gallery

July 5th, 2006

After checking out the show at Kapok I headed over to the IdN Gallery space in Wanchai. IdN (International designers Network) is a famous digital design magazine based in Hong Kong. They’re located on a small street where cars cannot drive down. The narrow street is filled on either side with hawker stalls, and the IdN building is somewhat hidden.
On this night, it would be easy to spot, as arty-looking people were spilled out onto the street outside the space. I didn’t know anything about the exhibition, but it was a book release party for designer Stephen Lau, who had published a book titled ‘Fusion’ through IdN with 50 contributors.
I had arrived late, and just missed the live painting below:

The artwork on the walls was mostly Stephen Lau’s illustrations on the second floor, and works from contributors occupied the ground floor.

Husky Brown Street Art In Sierra Leone

Writing Graffiti

HALO - light-writing graffiti

French designer aissa logerot has developed ‘halo’ an LED light spray. instead of
spraying paint it has an LED that sprays light. not only can the LED’s brightness
be altered, but the colors are interchangeable. if the light doesn’t have enough battery,
users simply have to shake it to have energy again.

AISSALOGEROT SITE

INTERVIEW: DESUR, Scel

interview with Desur

Introduce yourself; tag, crew and where are you from?

Always the first quesion, ey ?
I?m a middleclass white scum, hardcore listening, shape and shade addicted, 24 year old, punk lovin` and longboardin` graff scribble illustating vector junkie with an extraordinary big heart for design in many ways.

Born and raised with the endless love of my parents in Gera, Thuringia. I now am resident in Leipzig, Sachsonia after livin`and working in Jena, Hamburg, Melbourne, Auckland / NZ and a some marks here and there spread over europe.

Tag: Desur / Take Two: MrWorks

Collaboratin` with PicassoPaperbag and Bob Ryder.
Crews have been AOC, KDZ and today remains FUTY - fromUStoYOU

For how long have you been doing graffiti, and how did it all start?

Puh that is a long story, I try to cut it down. Started with my first piece when I was eleven. Didn`t do it good and made the first break in my carrier rideaway, for two years. In that time I was sketchin`and scribblin`every day. That is why I?m more influenced by illustrators than other graff artists. I?m mostly into character and organic styles anyway. My first „Comeback“ I did with thierteen. Got it into bombin`and did a little here and there in my hometown. Next break was due to some police officers. They catched me, got me into a room alone with `em and told me, if they could, the would chop of my hands. Now I laugh out loud, back then I was to young and fuggin`scared.

Next step of mine was organising graffiti jams. I started pretty lucky and did all my first jams with dudes like, daim, OsGemeos, Tasso, Loomit, Neck, Esher, etc. So I got to know some important connections and started to get involved in the busyness of graff sport.

How are (is) graffiti developing in Germany and do you face problems with the cops, because of them?

Cops ? Mhmm. I don`t have any problems with crossing their path. Because I changed understanding and behaviour of changing I don`t appear with ski mask and mostly do my job at day time, so no man considers me to do anything illegal.

What is your opinion of the European graffiti scene, and do you think it differs from the once in the US?

Big question and a good one. Not to offend anyone, what follows is just my opinion, no measure for anything ! In the US there are some outstanding talents and of course it started there. To mention so I meet or I owe respect, MearOne, Joker, Giant, Twist and so on. But most diversity and way more movement within the scene, as I think loads more quality is in european and nowadays, eastern block graff.
I?m blown away buy guys like HPZ, Stohead, Mode2, Rodger, ECB, Daim, Stuka, Tasek, Error and so on and on .. I could name douzens more. In the end I have to admit I don`t live in the US and have been there all together not more than 4/5 months. So I can`t see everything.

And do you have any observation about what’s happening in Bulgaria, or do you actually have no idea where it is?

Huhu.. I definitly know where it is, I?m not from the middle of the U.S. (sorry for offendin` anyone;) I don`t no writters from Bulgaria by heart, but at least from Igor, doin`the brain-damage mag I learned loads about eastern graff. A lot of awesome stuff I saw and I think there will be comin`up loads more. Can`t wait for it.

What cans do you use and which kind/brand do you think are the best?

I mostly combine, for different reasons. Some are good for transparency, some to cover. For divers reason I preffer Multona and Belton Molotow.

What inspires you the most?
Live itself, of course. I?m willing to believe art is a way to communicate, create and to express yourself but still only a leftover of everydays live. Mostly I just work out images, artwork whatsoever while thinking about love, money problems and society. Outstanding inspiration still to answer the question, have been and always will be my friends and family. Susi, The great O, my beloved Don, Agent Smith, Bob Ryder of course my borther and my parents.

How would you determine you own style? How would you classify it?

OH. I do art by heart. Not much more to say. I`m playin`with my ego in public behind several masks, but I don`t take myself to important in real life,. . did that enough when I was to young know better.

In what foreign countries have you drawn/painted?

France, Denmark, U.S.A., Thailand, Australia, NewZealand, . . .

What are you plans for the future?
To realise so many dreams, to build up the graphic and marketing firm of Bob Ryder and me, as well as to make my parents proud of my work

What’s your opinion about the train bombing?

Like some, hate some. Jepsy styles are cheerries on a cocktail and terrorlines can be just borin` and neither interessting nor nice.

What would you like to say to the Bulgarian writers?

Same as everyone else: Love is like an empty room full of stuff, so not made to be understood. And listen to your heart !

There is worlds to explore so just start dreamin`.

That`s it:) We are making archive with interviews right now, and probably we gonna add new one every 2 weeks, only people with real value for the graffiti scene around the world:) That`s it:)

Scel Interview

Introduce yourself, tag, crew, and where are you from?

My name is scel , i’m from vienna, austria.

For how long have you been doing graffiti, and how did it all start?

Well, its about 7 years now. ive always been fascinated of graffities on the line, or bombings and stuff on my trips to paris and nyc, i was always wondering how and why people do it, and the fact that they’re putting fresh colours on grey walls fascinated me as well, in the late 90s i went to san francisco, i was living a bit outside and on the way in (i always took the “bart” train,goin throug bay area) i saw so ill and colourful pieces next to the line (oakland tracks) from guys like “poesia, krash, bets, dream and so on, so i decided to walk all the way and take pictures of all the stuff, i shot like 100 photos, and back in vienna i started drawing some styles off the photos, a little later i had my first name “karma” and started with sketchez, in the beginnig i was really influenced of the oakland stuff, because those were the only graffiti flics i had.

How are graffiti developing in Austria and do you face problems with the cops, because of them?

Well nowadays, im not doin much illegal stuff anymore. The graffiti scene expanded alot the last 2, 3 years, theres always some periods when ppl get really active, and theres times that make u think it all stopped. right now the illegal scene is defenitly growing, but right now in vienna we have only 10 really active ppl, stuff u see all the time…well the cop situation isnt much diffrent here from any other country.

Do you have sponsors, and if you do - is this helping you?

Unfortunatly I dont, I wish I had molotow as sponsor, I like the cans so much I guess I would be a good promoter 

Besides the graff, you are also a digital artist? Does the graffiti and graphic design connect in some way?

First i started with graffiti, i cant really tell exactly why, i was just so fascinaterd of it, and the same happend to me with graphic design, i saw some websites and designers on the net,and said to me: damn i want to do that too, well and now im makin money with it. To me theres defenitly a connection between graphic design and graffiti, i also always wanted to combine them and create somthing new, it took me some time to get away from the how should i say, classic graffiti, stuff i was doin for years.

What is your opinion of the European graffiti scene, and do you think it differs from the once in the US?

Yeah defentitly, I dont see much of a progress in the us, I mean props to the old school, and to all those wildstylers from the us, but when it comes to styles and techniques, europe has taken it to another level, especially ppl from germany and france and eastern countries come up with fresh stuff.

And do you have any observation about what’s happening in Bulgaria?

A friend of mine is bulgarian, and I know that sofia got alot to offer, there are some guys doin` really tight characters, and i also know “xpome” hes also doin fresh stuff.

It’s notable, that your graff is extreamly clean, how long did it take you to start working like that?

“It’s all about the detail” hehe, well i always had ambitions to work as clean as possible, i just like the cleaness of a piece when everything is cut and a eye for some little details, defentily took me some years to get where i am now.

What cans do you use and which kind/brand do you think are the best?

I mostly use moltow,they got my favorite colours like “pussypink”, “limegreen” some blue tones and so on, but i also use montana gold and spanish montana, i use what i get into my sticky fingers hehe

From which artists do you get inspired ? What inspires you the most?

There are lots of people who inspire me, guys like “viagrafik”, i really like their graphic look, also some french guys but i cant remeber their name at the moment. if i have to decide what inspires me most, i’d say its nature, u can get so much out of nature, forms, colour combinations but also architecture and the urban style.

How would you define your own style?

I’d say its’ a mixture of graffiti and graphic design, i try to paint very clean and mostly minimal, not too many colours, just some colours that fit togehter very well. The style im doin right now was developed from doin just some normal sketches on paper, i did the same sketch 3 or 4 times, because everytime one letter didnt come out the way i wanted to, i just took pictures , and traced the diffrent letters in a vector programm on my computer and put them together. its like an extension now, i can rearrange the letters over and over and change the form easily. its interesting to use diffrent medias to get where u want to.

In what foreign countries have you drawn/painted?

Mostly around europe, amsterdam, barcelona, czech republic, italy,..

Some plans to share?

Well for the future, i want to melt graphic design and graffiti even more together, i m also thinkin about doin walldesigns for companies with diffrent techniques mixed togehter, such as spraypaint, paint and brushes, and also printed materials, i think this is really a interesting.

What’s your opinion about the train bombing?

Well i love to do it, i havent done so many till now, and most of them were trashed trains, but painting on a train is something special, the feelin, the rush and so on…i just love it, when you are waiting at the station and u see a fat burner rollin in. which doesnt happen really often here…

What kind of music do you listen to?

All kinds of music, but mostly hiphop and electronic music. my favorites in hiphop are nine, group home, mobb deep, pharcyde, jeru and many more, in electronic its swayzak, theorem, morr music, phonem, muziq, kompakt music,…

What would you like to say to the Bulgarian writers?

I`ve seen some really fresh stuff from u guys, so get ur asses over here, and drop some funky shit in austria!
Big up to the whole bulgarian hiphop massiive!!

Props:

Big up to my homie senzinger aka petrose aka “der dicke mit der haube” aka malr, schnizzzl aka damest aka domestose, ma man stvdb, the crazy bitches from holland, jesic, jp, pims, FDL, FCP, nemik, tim the wasted,solo for keeping that shit ill and alive and all the other hoes and sluts i know, and of course big up to my girl dani PEACE!