FINAL RECAP FROM HONG KONG

The crew and I just returned from a very busy trip to Hong Kong. We were there for my “Visual Disobedience” museum show which showcases 290 of my art pieces at the HOCA Foundation, to paint three murals, and to do a collaborative project between Obey and Hong Kong based streetwear brand Fingercroxx. When we arrived in Hong Kong a typhoon was arriving simultaneously and after a one day break from the rain, another typhoon and two more days of rain arrived. I was pretty stressed about completing the murals because the perpetual dampness made working very difficult. We tackled the museum install until we finally got a break from the rain. Walking and working on the streets of Hong Kong is sweaty, but exhilarating. I love the energy of the Hong Kong cityscape with its unique combination of old and new, slick and gritty. The plethora of signs, including vintage neon, make for a lot of eye-candy with a different sensibility than I’ve seen anywhere else in the world. I took a lot of pictures for inspiration, and so did our mustachioed supreme documentarian… Jon Furlong. Thanks Jon for the great photos! There are a lot of people I need to thank for their support and hard work in Hong Kong. My assistants Dan Flores, Nic Bowers, and Rob Zagula pushed through long hours and oppressive humidity. Lauren, Pauline, Vivien, and Sharlane from HOCA gracefully executed an exhibit with a tremendous number of moving parts. Cherry, Thomas, and Kat from I.T./Fingercroxx did a killer job with the collaboration launch and were great hosts. There are too many people to thank properly, but thank you to everyone who supported our Hong Kong endeavors!

-Shepard