Ink on Concrete, Memory in Motion  

Whenever The King of Kowloon is brought up in conversations amongst Hong Kongers who lived through the golden era of the city, a nostalgic memory is often brought into the forefront of the mind. Just thinking about the iconic street artist transports them back to the Hong Kong of their youth, a time when the city was the embodiment of hopes and dreams. A place where anything could happen and there was hope in the future. The same ‘economic powerhouse’ of Asia that gave us iconic Kung Fu movies in their once billion-dollar film industry. A city of safe harbour where one would flee to in times of famine, hardship and war. Today the city and its people are lost.  

Perhaps it was the sight of his scrawled characters on a crumbling utility box, or a memory of seeing him barefoot and muttering as he painted a lamppost—small moments that now feel like relics from another life. Predating Banksy in the UK and Keith Haring in New York, The King of Kowloon used the streets as his canvas—in a city constantly transforming, he insisted on consistency. He symbolises more than the street art he created, martyred by protestors for decades, he has become the unlikely voice for Hong Kongers in a time of political hardship.  

Through icons associated with our past we can connect to a moment in time and place that might no longer be. Have you ever encountered a symbol or figure that draws you back into a world of nostalgic bliss? If something or someone can reconnect you with a past reality, we want to hear your story.