Top five Hong Kong artists to put on your radar

From edgy urban pieces to colourful, abstract works, these artists bring a unique flair that’s worth paying attention to. Whether you’re an art connoisseur or a newcomer looking to invest in affordable yet valuable art, join us in discovering our city’s most notable talents.

C Chung, Art Current Gallery

A musician of the pop band HiBye, and ex-painting columnist for the local newspaper Sing Pao Daily, C Chung (See Wai-Chung) has held many creative hats in the art industry. He has also worked in a mental rehabilitation institution for many years.  

As a Hong Kong-born artist, he currently heals different souls through colour, engaging in painting and music creation. In 2012, he was invited by a Spanish gallery to participate in the SWAB ART FAIR. His artworks also appeared in many joint exhibitions in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. 

Yuki Onodera, wamono art  

Renowned Japanese artist Yuki Onodera has been based in Paris for more than three decades.  

Onodera’s experimental works, which do not fit within schemas of “photography,” often pose two questions: what is photography, and what can be done through it?  

Her works (until now) are always about connecting photography with history. Through this, Onodera searches the different aspects of photography and uses them to express non-existence and continuation, trying to find out what it means to capture and remember time.  

She uses any possible method to realize her works. This might mean taking photographs with a marble inside her camera, or creating a story out of a legend and travelling to the ends of the earth to shoot it. Onodera is known for making two-meter-high prints in the darkroom, painting on her photographs, and for other original hands-on methods.  

Sam Cheng, Yan Gallery

With a deliberate and contrasting blend of old and new, Hong Kong artist Sam Cheng is a master in the universal language of ink. Her traditional Chinese fine brushwork lays the foundation for narratives rich in symbolism and modern perspectives.  

Frequent in still lifes, her work is not a mere depiction but an exploration into human emotions met with the happenings of life. Sometimes, she offers a touch of sarcasm that laces her subjects. A breeze of tenderness is evoked through the ink, and her pieces are an invitation to experience a world softened by her artistry. 

Malik, REDSEA Gallery  

“Green because it has the colour of nature and has a healing power for the soul. Brown because it is the color of many antiquities.”

– Malik

Unlike most artists who employ a spectrum of colour, Malik initially worked exclusively with black ink. Later, he incorporated green and brown to evoke nature’s healing essence and the richness of antiquities. His unique approach eschews preliminary sketches for direct pen application. This underscores a dedication to craftsmanship and the evocative power of monochrome. 

Malik, an Indonesian-born painter known for his intricately detailed works, draws inspiration from his love of black and white, a palette inherited from his father. Despite being virtually blind in one eye, he dedicates six to eight months to each canvas. The focus is often on the serene landscapes of rice fields, temples, and daily life.

Hugo Mathias, SOL Gallery  

As a multi-disciplinary artist, Hugo’s work explores everyday objects and our subjective associations with them. 

Through vivid depictions that are part realist, part painterly, his art speaks to the connections forged with the things we own. Hugo invites the viewer to reflect on their own consumerist identity. His work is not only visually engaging but also a powerful commentary on the relationship between people and products. His vibrant, almost pop-inspired style is a reminder of the inherent connection we have with our possessions, turned into a deconstruction of modern living that’s as thought-provoking as it is beautiful. 

You’ll be able to engage with these Hong Kong artists’ work at Affordable Art Fair this 16 – 19 May. Join us in our annual hallmark event with thousands of pieces all under HK$100,000. It’s going to be a great edition!