8 Hong Kong artists you should be following on Instagram

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bao (@simplebao)

Look at the mural-splattered corner around the city – chances are it’s one of Bao’s works. Born and based in Hong Kong, the street-art master has splattered her design upon everything from storefronts to buses. Since her career took off in 2015, Bao has become an established name in the field with top-ranked clients such as Google, Grand Hyatt, and K11 Musea.

But it took her a while to discover this calling. Formerly a graphic designer laden with mundane tasks, Bao travelled to Italy and realised her interest in mural art. Influenced by Japanese comics, her artistry is unparalleled simply judging from illustrations and sketches pegged on her Instagram wall. So you don’t even have to venture out on the streets to admire her work – simply click to explore more. @simplebao

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 謝曬皮 (@tsesaipei)

The Instagram handle says it all. Artist Tse Sai Pei, which roughly translates to being burnt out and lacking motivation, captures the humour and cynicism of Millennial culture in her quirky comics and illustrations. Jasmine Tse, who was influenced by ‘90s comedy, counts Stephen Chow and rap duo Stofthard among her inspirations. Her career started with posting anecdotal sketches about her work life on Instagram and eventually discovered she possessed the ability to tell a good story with illustrations. While Tse self-describes her work as schizophrenic, sweet, depressing and sarcastic, the biggest draw for many is her commentary on local culture from commuting to dating, and her 115,000 followers (and counting) have clearly found kinship with it. @tsesaipei

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pen So · 黑白的藝術 (@penso)

Tracing curves, contour and fine lines, hard-at-work illustrator Pen So is not daunted by the monochromatic palette of black and white. Landscapes, portraits, and comic strips are well within his wheelhouse to evoke nostalgic sensibilities; meanwhile, his sketchbooks feature supernatural forces and urban architectures, among many other dazzling visions.  

Plying his trade as a journeyman illustrator, Pen So’s determination to preserve Hong Kong’s architectural heritage is also ironclad. On his Instagram, one can easily find close-ups of corner houses and colonial blocks, all done by his skilful hands chronicling the city’s storied past. @penso

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ga Ga Ma (@gagama)

Gaga Ma’s designs prove that tattoos can take any form yet still be artistic and personal. A former advertising executive with a talent for illustration, Ma discovered that the body can be a canvas for anything upon seeing her friends’ tattoos before she embarked on her journey as a tattoo artist. Minimalist and abstract, Ma’s tattoos are mainly made up of soft, elegant curves and lines, often touching upon themes like feminism, gender, religion, and spirituality. Since posting her work on Instagram, Ma has been able to connect with new people who have never been inked before and create designs based on their life stories. @gagamama  

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Little Thunder 門小雷 (@littlethunder)

Flaunting cute, youthful, and seductive female characters as her creative statements, Little Thunder is a well-established illustrator based in Hong Kong. Known for her fluid, delicate brushstrokes, the aspiring illustrator began her career after high school. In those early days, she ran up against the shifting sands of publishers’ tastes until she decided to publish the work on her own.  Having more than 900k Instagram followers, the artist made her name with several selling publications. Her artworks, mostly female portraits, are a real feast for the eyes. For those interested to learn the ropes, her Instagram wall is lined with videos of her drawing process as well. @littlethunder

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jonathan Jay Lee (@jonathanjaylee)

Taiwanese-American artist Jonathan Jay Lee boasts quite a creative journey, from attending Parsons School of Design to receiving commissioned work for Marvel Comics. Much of Lee’s pieces at first glance may seem to be centred around atmospheric, comic book-esque depictions of Hong Kong and its city streets. But Lee claims that it’s the viewers that truly inform his work. Aside from pop-up exhibitions around the city, Lee is able to reach a wider audience that doesn’t frequent art galleries with Instagram, using the platform to display the sincerity behind his artistic endeavours. @jonathanjaylee

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 小 蓮 婆 婆 Littlelenpopo (@littlelenpopo)

Here to smash stereotypes on embroidery is Shirley Hung Sheung-yee, a self-taught master of embroidery art. Hung’s work has shown that this delicate artform goes beyond stitching flowers on fabrics and can include anything from natural landscapes to narratives about personal struggles. Citing the likes of Sophia Narrett and Ana Teresa Barboza as her main influences, Hung’s works break through the typical confines, quite literally – she created a three-dimensional embroidery of a mountain for her first solo exhibition at Eslite Bookstore in 2019. Outside of her curated IG account, Hung also offers embroidery classes and products to the masses. @littlelenpopo

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rex Koo (@rexkoo)

Local artist Rex Koo is known for his unique, conceptual interpretations of iconic Hong Kong movie scenes. Taking inspiration from television adverts, music, films, comic books, manga and popular culture, Koo feels drawn to the personalities and attitudes of famous figures and film characters Ranging from playful, caricature-like drawings of local movies like In the Mood For Love and Young and Dangerous to minimalist iterations of Bruce Lee and the Girl with a Pearl Earring, all of Koo’s work is inked with humour and love. Though he sees social media as a godsend for artists, Koo still prefers the old-school medium of paper and wishes to experiment with comics and short story-accompanied art. @rexkoo