Art knows no boundaries, as long as there is creativity, any object can become a medium of creation. In recent years, there has been a growing appreciation for the street calligraphy of “Emperor of Kowloon” Tsang Tsou Choi, with even the M+ Museum including his works in their collection, proving the value of local street art. In addition to the well-known “Emperor of Kowloon,” “Plumber King” Yim Cheuk Tong is also a prominent figure in Hong Kong’s street art scene. Recently, “Plumber King” held a solo exhibition, starting at Whatever. Coffee and expanding to the surrounding Sham Shui Po community, allowing audiences to truly immerse themselves in the streets and discover hidden ink treasures!
For 60 years, the King of Drains has been wandering the streets of Hong Kong, witnessing the changes through his calligraphy and drain-clearing services. As early as the 1960s, the King of Drains was hand-painting advertisements on the streets using traditional methods, with a bucket of paint on his left and a broom on his right, physically taking to the streets to write. Since then, the King of Drains’ phone number has been spread throughout every corner of Hong Kong.
The classic “Qu Wang advertisement” in recent years has been presented in a large “fat boy font” style, with black borders, creating a clear black and white contrast. Next to the character “Qu,” three dots form a hook, which has become Qu Wang’s unique signature writing style. The unique font layout combination, along with Qu Wang’s range of services, greatly enhances the recognition of the advertisement.
However, street calligraphy exposed to the public eye, besides gaining exposure and helping with promotion, actually brings other problems. The phone numbers on advertisements are often maliciously defaced or altered by other competitors, so the calligrapher can only cover up with water and soil, persisting in writing by hand until the end, with handwriting that remains unmatched to this day, depicting the unique local scenery.
The Qu King mentioned that he had written many calligraphy works in Sham Shui Po in the past, but with the urban redevelopment, the old streets and alleys are no longer there, making the remaining works even more unique and precious. If you also want to savor this urban scenery, why not start from Whatever. Coffee, follow the “Qu King Street Exhibition” to stroll through the 900-acre exhibition area, take out your phone, connect to the “Qu King” Mr. Yan Zhaotang specially prepared for everyone, “Free Shed Line*” to take photos of the works, and leave the mark of Qu King together!
“King’s Street Exhibition”
Date: Now until June 30
Time: Daily from 11am to 6pm
Address: Shop B, 172 Tai Nan Street, Sham Shui Po
Image source: Whatever. Coffee, “King of the Canals” Yan Zhaotang
