SCMP Originals
Art

Hong Kong retiree pursues passion for painting with works displayed in over 100 restaurants

Painting has been a lifelong passion for amateur artist Alfred Yu. But he put it aside for 30 years in favour of pursuing better-paying jobs. Now, the 63-year-old is living his dream post-retirement by painting works for over 100 restaurants in Hong Kong. He derives satisfaction from having his artwork displayed and offers them to the restaurants free of charge.

April 18, 2021
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From a self-portrait painted by Sophia the Robot, to Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey’s first tweet, to Beeple’s US$69 million JPEG, digital NFT creations also known as “nifties” have been fetching...05:15
Art
What are NFTs?
April 8, 2021
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Yuncheng city’s Yangzhao village, in northern China’s Shanxi province, has a long history of making traditional red lanterns dating back hundreds of years. Workers at a lantern factory have been...02:07
Lunar New Year
China’s ‘Red Lantern Village’
February 9, 2021
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A US street artist has been painting a mural in Santa Monica to honour frontline healthcare workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. The artwork has been commissioned by a medical scrubs firm and a...01:56
Coronavirus pandemic: All stories
US street artist honours medical staff with mural
December 24, 2020
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Hong Kong’s Art Basel is back with its 2023 edition featuring more than 170 art galleries drawing in high-spending international visitors. It is the first time the fair has been held in the city...03:09
Art Basel
Highlights from Hong Kong’s Art Basel 2023
March 23, 2023
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A robot artist Ai-da spoke and answered questions in Britain’s House of Lords on October 11, 2022, to address the effects of technology on creative industries. Developed by scientists at the...01:52
Artificial intelligence
Robot artist Ai-da addresses UK Parliament
October 15, 2022
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From racing cars to designer bags, custom cakes by Hong Kong baker Alison Chan are being showcased in the city’s first “illusion cake” exhibit. Featuring hyperrealistic cakes, the exhibition at K11...03:05
Art
HK’s illusion cake exhibit
July 29, 2022
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Harumichi Shibasaki is a Japanese grandfather who has become an unexpected YouTube start, amassing over 1.4 million followers on the video-sharing site since 2017. The 74-year-old’s channel called ...02:15
Japan
Artistic grandpa is a YouTube hit
July 8, 2022
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Employing sunlight, sand and eggs as art materials, Egyptian artist Hossam Gamal creates portraits of famous personalities. Using just a magnifying glass on canvas, Gamal says he is willing to stay...02:30
Art
Making portraits with sunlight and eggs
June 10, 2022
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A YouTuber from Thailand has built an entire city model from pieces of paper. Darunbhop Puangsombat, a model fanatic, spent almost a year to complete the model city, including a moving monorail,...01:50
Thailand
Thailand’s paper city
May 27, 2022
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Famous landmarks around the world were recreated at the Haeundae Sand Festival 2022 in Busan, South Korea. Including Paris’ Eiffel Tower, Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, the Sydney Opera House and many more...01:01
South Korea
World icons made of sand
May 27, 2022
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Sudanese artist Abou Bakr al-Sherif has been teaching mosaic art since 2010. In a country where the art form is little known, Sherif faces challenges securing conventional materials used for...02:10
Art
Artist shares love of mosaic art in Sudan
April 6, 2022
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Using a thin brush and resin, Jesstoni Garcia sprinkles strands of hair and clippings on a blank white canvas to create celebrity portraits.The Filipino artist, hair salon co-owner and cruise ship...02:15
Art
Filipino artist makes art with hair
March 23, 2022
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For the last 10 years, Derek Yung has been using nothing but a wooden pole and a garden rake to transform Hong Kong’s beaches into beautiful works of art. He first draws his designs on paper before...02:35
Art
HK sand artist turns beaches into art
December 23, 2021
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Karen Chan is part of a group of young artists learning how to make neon lights to try and keep the dying trade alive in Hong Kong. Also known by her professional name “Chankalun”, the 33-year-old...02:14
Arts and crafts
Hongkonger keeps neon lights glowing
December 17, 2021
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Chinese ceramic artist Wang Wenhua’s exquisite miniature pottery has become an online hit, attracting millions of viewers to the video platform Tik Tok. He has been crafting his tiny treasures in a...01:19
Ceramics
Chinese mini pottery a smash hit
December 15, 2021
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Pan Baoxin, otherwise known as Long Long, has a unique way of keeping a food journal. Instead of words, photos or videos, she creates miniature clay imitations of her food, with some as small as a...03:59
Art
Bite-size food clay creations
October 31, 2021
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The Arc de Triomphe in Paris has been completely enveloped in silver and blue fabric. The installation, named “L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped”, was first conceived by late artists Christo and Jeanne...02:01
Art
Paris’ Arc de Triomphe art
September 17, 2021
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Japanese artist Monami Ohno creates detailed sculptures of fighter jets and anime robots out of little more than cardboard boxes and glue. Ohno has been crafting these cardboard creations for about...02:33
Japan
Japanese artist turns trash into treasure
September 2, 2021
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Nearly 90,000 Hong Kong residents have left the city amid a recent wave of emigration. Among them is Hong Kong artist Kacey Wong, who moved to Taiwan in July 2021. The 51-year-old artist says he...02:50
Taiwan
Artist leaves HK for creative freedom
August 17, 2021
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Robotic “gardeners” have been hard at work drawing an Olympics installation at Tokyo’s Ueno Park. The “gardeners” are actually two-metre-long (6.6ft) robotic arms that run on AI computer programs...03:42
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Robotic ‘gardeners’ draw Olympics-inspired art
July 29, 2021
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Although non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have recently been generated controversy over concerns about energy inefficiency, interest in them continues to rise. The Worldwide Asset eXchange (WAX), an NFT...02:37
Art
NFT merchant WAX explains its approach to energy efficiency
April 22, 2021