There’s more to this neighbourhood than latté art
Aside from its excellent array of indie cafés, making them popular coffee destinations for many Hongkongers, the hip neighbourhoods of Sheung Wan and Sai Ying Pun are also home to some of the coolest and most unique galleries in the city. Tucked away in between unassuming alleyways and street corners, these galleries inject some much-needed creativity into the city. Exploring a range of genres like South American art, which can be found at Puerta Roja, Hong Kong photography via Bamboo Scenes as well as street and urban art at Above Second and Over The Influence, we traverse the two districts to find you the best art galleries in Sheung Wan and Sai Ying Pun.
RECOMMENDED: Don’t miss all the best art exhibitions happening in town this month too.
This corner-shop gallery may be compact but it carries some incredibly refreshing and edgy works from the international street-art community, including those by powerhouses like Ceet and Yaz. The gallery highlights pieces that are approachable for even the most casual art lover, so feel free to pop in and discover the coolest talents in the urban-art scene.
Aside from letting visitors appreciate stunning images with a glass of wine in hand, this indie gallery dedicated to Hong Kong photography also doubles as a retail space that offers prints at affordable prices. 10 percent of sale profits goes towards local charities like ImpactHK.
Originally located in Chai Wan, Blue Lotus’ relocation to Sheung Wan has made it easier for visitors to access and appreciate the works of talented local photographers. The gallery celebrates our city’s rich cultural identity through unique perspectives, and you can admire everything from rare old images of colonial Hong Kong to Marcel Heijnen’s pictures of shop-dwelling cats (pictured).
This Hollywood Road gallery dedicates its time and effort to the promotion of contemporary and avant-garde artists primarily from Hong Kong and mainland China. With over 2,000sq ft of exhibition space, Contemporary is able to curate and stage exhibitions that are often introspective with large impact. Discover everything from Peter Steinhauser’s series on Hong Kong bamboo scaffolding to Beijing-based artist Li Hongbo’s metal sculptures in the shape of knives to German painter Martin Wehmer’s abstract works.
A four-storey private museum on historic Hollywood Road, Liang Yi Museum is home to impressive collections of Chinese antique furniture and European bejewelled clutches. This is the place where you’ll find ornate relics and niche acquisitions of items like Japanese tobacco pipes from the 17th century to rare Persian art and ceramics. Note that visits to the museum require prior booking and you can pay $200 for a private guided tour as well.
Arguably one of the best galleries in town for urban art, Over the Influence has featured a slew of talents, including the likes of Jerkface, Shepard Fairey and Cleon Peterson. The gallery places a strong focus on art that’s radical and influential, and often pushes viewers to expand their horizons with works that represent alternative and marginalised viewpoints.
To find works by Latin American and Spanish artists, there’s no better gallery than Puerta Roja. Pioneers and innovators like Carlos Cruz-Diez and Gladys Nistor have graced the walls at this Sai Ying Pun space. Discover the creative forces behind movements such as op and kinetic art, geometric abstraction and Mexican modernism.
South Korea is home to more than just K-pop. The art scene there is booming and the great thing is that you can experience it first-hand in Hong Kong via Soluna. All about promoting Korean and Asian contemporary art, this Tai Ping Shan venue allows visitors to explore fascinating cross-cultural influences and dialogues.
Rarely discussed places that are aesthetically interesting, of historical note, or even just plain weird.
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