Best street art and graffiti in Hong Kong

Czech artist Mára Čmára uses illustration as a form of communication, translating his ideas into a beautiful visual language that often combines analogue drawings with digital colouring. For the 2023 HKwalls festival, the artist fashioned a two-wall mural featuring bunnies – a call on this year’s Chinese zodiac animal – along with bright peonies, which symbolise wealth and prosperity.

13a New Street, Sheung Wan

In an attempt to revitalise certain old buildings in Sai Yin Pun and to add kudos to some fancy new residential complexes – thanks, land developers – Ki Ling Lane and Chung Ching Street (next to MTR exit B3) have been given a colourful facelift. Murals, with themes of art and music, created by nine local and international artists now decorate the facade of building walls in this area. Whether you’re looking for a kaleidoscopic canvas for your next selfie or you’re simply interested in seeing the neighbourhood in a new light, Art Lane should be a port of call on your next street art tour around Hong Kong.

Ki Ling Lane and Chung Ching Street, Sai Ying Pun

Known for her retro-inspired cartoons, Hong Kong-based illustrator Mooncasket has crafted a colourful mural outside the walls of Sheung Wan’s popular beer store Craftissimo. Featuring a friendly bear holding flowers, the artwork celebrates the end of the city’s mask mandate and symbolises those warm, fuzzy feelings we get from being outdoors. Other elements of nature, such as flowers, a mushroom, and the sun, were also incorporated into the design to create a garden-like atmosphere that invites viewers to sit back and relax.

Shop D, G/F, 22-24 Tai Ping Shan Street, Sheung Wan

Having started graffiti painting in the late 90s, California-based artist Jurne and his creations have been featured in exhibitions and festivals around the world, including New York, London, Berlin, New Zealand – and now, Hong Kong! Working in collaboration with Antoine, a fellow graffiti artist from France, this massive mural on Square Street showcases Jurne’s signature style with large letters that spell out his name. The background of the wall is a deep, saturated blue, against which Jurne sketched out his name and used spray paint to bring it to life. Meanwhile, a primary colour palette of yellow, blue, and red is employed for the lettering.

Square Street, Tai Ping Shan

Los Angeles-based artist Lauren YS often paints in a bold and rebellious manner – and this one is no different. Titled ‘Mind Temple’, the mural drew inspiration from two main themes: her twin sister's experience living and working in Hong Kong and the importance of mental health. With the idea of creating a visually safe space in the neighbourhood, Lauren also researched into the Tai Ping Shan area to incorporate elements that would reflect the mural’s surroundings. The mural, in its entirety, was created with spray paint, utilising a calming colour palette of green, blue, and pinkish tones to evoke the scenery of dawn or sunset. A dragon design was added to the shorter side of the wall parallel to the stairs in order to enhance the mural's overall composition.

Square Street, Tai Ping Shan

ZED1 is an Italian street artist known for his distinctive murals featuring egg-headed humans and curious creatures. Characterised by a unique interpretation of forms and an enchanting colour palette, ZED1 is known for his use of the spraying technique, which produces harmonious shades resembling watercolours. His recent portfolio includes characters from fairy tales, evoking a sense of melancholy and reflection.

3 Lok Ku Road, Sheung Wan

Legendary street artist Invader has made multiple undercover trips to our SAR and left his mark at various spots all across town during each visit. Many of his works can be seen in and around Harbour City, including the famous mural at the Ocean Terminal Forecourt, featuring the ghosts from Pac-Man in his signature retro video game style.

 Ocean Terminal Forecourt, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui

Paying tribute to local icon Bruce Lee, South Korean graffiti artist Xeva used his signature mosaic technique to create this large mural capturing the likeness of the martial arts superstar. Strike a jeet kune do pose next to the graffiti at this staircase for the perfect Hong Kong snapshot. 

Tank Lane, Sheung Wan

Hong Kong-based artist and illustrator Kristopher Ho is a familiar name in the street art community. As part of the 2023 HKwalls street art festival, Kristopher created a mural featuring a wolf being gently petted. To Kris, the wolf portrays the idea of being a 'lone wolf', symbolising the need to make time for our inner selves; while the hand, which has several natural elements growing out of it, represents personal growth and learning from past experiences. 

Shing Wong Street, Sheung Wan

Renowned art collective Innerfields has created their first mural in Asia for the 2023 HKwalls festival. The mural, featuring daisies and a woman in an astronaut suit, explores the impact of technology on human behaviour and society, with the character fully immersed in her virtual world. In counterplay with this idea, a bird is painted to represent nature and offers a possible connection to the physical world.

8 Wa In Fong East, Sheung Wan

Featuring 30 sets of giant murals, the 'Lift Up Kowloon East' project by local architect Derrick Leong and designer Annie Long breathes new life to the Kwun Tong area by taking characters from different periods – from the Song dynasty to modern day – and industries in Kowloon East, and painting them onto each of the columns under the Kwun Tong Bypass. Folks are welcome to view the murals along Kwung Tong Promenade, where they can discover and learn about the transformation of Kowloon East. Start from the Energizing Kowloon East Office (Vessel 01) located outside the Kowloon Flour Mills and make your way down towards Hoi Bun Road Park!

122 Hoi Bun Road, Kwun Tong

This mural by Hong Kong-based designer, illustrator, and artist Wong Ting Fung features abstract Chinese characters in green and red, inspired by the colours of the Tin Hau temple. He freestyled his design onto each wall in about 12 hours, incorporating elements of the surrounding area into the piece like a collage. 

Next to the playground, visitors will also get to see murals by artists from HKwalls 2021 festival, including Neil Wang, Carol Bellese Choi, Zoie Lam, and Kristopher Ho.

25 Man Nin Stret, Sai Kung

A hot name in the local art scene, Bo Law is often inspired by the cityscape of Hong Kong. Unlike his usual densely populated black and white creations, Bo experimented with a new composition for this mural, which features a splashing whale in quiet colours. Bo sees the whale as a symbol of hope and freedom and hopes that people will feel a sense of calm when they see the mural.

Yi Chun Street, Sai Kung

Bao is a self-taught artist from Hong Kong who specializes in freestyle murals and illustrations. For this particular mural, created for the 2021 HKwalls street art festival, Bao painted a colourful goddess surrounded by vegetable 'kiddies' and other whimsical characters, referencing the wet market that's located next to the mural.

Sai Kung Market, Yi Chun Street

Originally a cotton mill established in 1954, this Tsuen Wan factory building re-emerged in 2018 as an art and design hub that celebrates the city’s industrial history while nurturing its creative community. Located outside the complex are six beautiful murals created by local artists to portray the past, present, and future of The Mills. The works include: The Past and Future of The Mills by Uncle; Cat’s Cradle by Wong Ting Fung; The Passage of Time by Keung Lap Yu, Candice; The image of spinning female worker by Karen Pow; Continuity by Marka Mak; and Overgrown by Rebecca T Lin.

45 Pak Tin Par Street, Tsuen Wan