Hysan and Lee Gardens Association connect community through art and culture

Hysan Development Company (“Hysan”) and Lee Gardens Association have jointly launched the “Art Too” Festival, a celebration of art and culture in Lee Gardens to mark its centenary, connecting the community through street art and culture.

The “Art Too” represents Hysan’s commitment to its vision of artistic expression and community connection, aiming to bring a variety of unique experiences and engaging activities to the public, and encouraging people to become a part of the continuing story.

Running from 22 November to 1 December, the festival commemorates pivotal moments in Lee Gardens through guided art tours, hands-on workshops and live demonstrations. Visitors can go beyond observation to engagement, with the opportunity to learn craft techniques and create their own artwork using authentic tools of the trade.

Done in collaboration with non-profit arts organisation HKWALLS, Hysan and Lee Gardens Association will present a special edition of the “Tools of the Trade” exhibition, featuring creative works playing contribute to the area’s heritage by U.S. artist Spenser Little, Hong Kong sign painter Katol and fine artist Wong Ting-fung.

The special exhibition highlights the tools artists use to create their work, presenting replicas of their personal studios and offering a glimpse into their creative processes.

The festival goes beyond traditional art displays, encouraging public participation. Visitors can join guided art tours to explore Lee Gardens’ history and its newest murals and installations. Hands-on workshops offer opportunities to learn creative techniques.

Spenser Little’s Wine Art masterclass, using the sky and streets as canvas, guides participants in wire art creation to craft personalised their names. The Lettering and Sign Painting masterclass by Katol showcases the basics of lettering and brush techniques to create hand-painted signs. The Deconstracting Text and Visualising Characters masterclass by Wong Ting-fung, guides participants in transforming Chinese characters by reimagining their strokes, lines, and dots.

New public art pieces by the three featured artists will be unveiled across Lee Gardens, with each work inspired by themes of joy, dreams, and shared memories. Visitors can sign up for an in-depth tour of the rich history surrounding Lee Gardens and Causeway Bay, led by HKWALLS and enriched by the newest murals and site-specific installations by the artists.

The three artists also plan to share details of their creative process through live demonstrations and interactive dialogues, revealing how art evolves from concept to finished pieces. Participants will have the opportunity to interact with the artists to learn about the ingenuity and personal inspirations that drive their artistic journeys.

Hysan100 has launched an online campaign titled “This is Art, Too”, inviting the public to share their artistic discoveries in Lee Gardens via Hysan100’s social media platforms. Participants will have a chance to win Lee Garden coupons and enjoy exclusive offers.

Ricky Lui, executive director and chief operating officer of Hysan Development Company Limited, said: “Art and culture have always been crucial in Hysan’s placemaking vision for Lee Gardens. From the Bei Shan Poets Society at the Lee Garden Amusement Park to the legendary Lee Theatre that made countless dreams come true, our spaces have consistently celebrated creativity. Today, art is seamlessly integrated into our ongoing efforts in area rejuvenation. Through the ‘Art Too’ Festival, we are recreating the spirit of community that began with the gatherings among literati at one of the Taipan houses in the 1920s. ”

“Visitors can explore paints, brushes and other tools of the trade by popular artists, participate in craft workshops, and discover our area’s heritage through immersive experiences and live demonstrations. This Festival not only pays tribute to our artistic legacy, but also creates new opportunities for creative expression and community engagement. “It is our way of honouring the generations of memorable moments that have shaped Lee Gardens, while inspiring new stories for the future,” he added.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Hysan for more information.

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