Hong Kong Living Influencer Awards 2021: Art and Design

Art is loved and inspired by many people. Even though art isn’t the biggest trend or attraction in Hong Kong, it has recently become increasingly popular due to these influencers. Take a look at this year’s influencers in the Art and Design category.

Jason Tobin, Actor in Warrior, Better Luck Tomorrow, and Fast and Furious

Jason Tobin is a half-Chinese, half-English actor who was born and raised in Hong Kong. Having attended boarding school in England, he struggled with homesickness. He then and took to acting in drama classes within his first week there. “From that moment, I was hooked. I felt like I could finally express myself”.

Upon his return to Hong Kong, he found himself applying for law schools since all of his friends were pursuing traditional lines of work. “But then one day, my dad showed me an advertisement for an acting class in Hong Kong taught by an American, Louis Roth, who had made a career playing a lot of western cops, judges and bad guys in Hong Kong cinema back in the 80s and 90s. I signed up right away and while I was in class an actress from New York told me about acting classes in Los Angeles and how you didn’t have to apply or pass any exams to get in. A couple of months later, I was on a flight to Los Angeles with one suitcase. I was 18″.

Tobin has since come an incredibly long way. This December, he has a new film coming out on Netflix worldwide called Fistful of Vengeance. “It’s been a long road with many ups and downs. There were times I felt a million miles from my dreams. But I persevered and I’ve had some great moments”. Some of his highlights include starring in hit-film-turned-cult-classic Better Luck Tomorrow, which featured at the Sundance Film Festival and his role in the award-winning film, Sonora. Currently, he is starring in the HBOMax series Warrior as “Young Jun”, a complex, blood-thirsty yet likeable son of a gang boss. The story of this popular TV show is based on the original writings of Bruce Lee.

He is also part of one of the biggest franchises in the world, playing Earl in The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift and Fast 9. Among his achievements, Tobin has also done some co-writing and producing for the film Jasmine, which he also starred in. It premiered at the Hong Kong International Film Festival. It also went on to win over a hundred awards at festivals around the world. “It’s a cross between a Wong Kar Wai movie and a Hitchcock film. I’m really proud of it and it’s truly a unique Hong Kong movie”. When asked about the film industry in Hong Kong, Tobin responded with hopes for growth and investment. “I would love to see the filmmaking grants given to up-and-coming, independent films and filmmakers instead of established players”.

Tobin has toiled away for years, leaving the industry only to come back to his joie de vivre time and time again. His advice for those on the difficult path to achieving their dreams? “Like a movie, don’t rush to the end to find out what happens. Just let the story unfold. Don’t wait to achieve a certain kind of success to be happy. Enjoy the work itself because that will sustain you through the ups and downs”.

Joseph Yung, Founder of Harmony Design

With a passion for new ideas and technology, Joseph Yung established Harmony Interior Design in 2014 with one principle. That principle was to transform a space into a home. The company prides itself on its ability to create personalised, homely designs. While many homes in Hong Kong are small, they are mighty. Yung believes there is potential to make every house into a home.

By listening to the concerns of clients, Yung can answer their needs by providing its expertise in design to bring their dream house to life. “People in Hong Kong are quite open-minded and have wide acceptability. This gives us room to create bold and innovative designs that can make any home”. With Hong Kong’s background as a British colony, Yung believes many design styles are influenced by British elements and tries to bring a unique combination of east meets west into her client’s home. “They often prefer the combination of Chinese and Western and plenty of storage places”.

While the pandemic caused a lot of hassle and stress for the company, Yung believes there was a silver lining. “More people stayed home during the pandemic and discovered the importance of their interior environment and how it affects their mental and physical health”. With more people paying attention to their homes, many clients returned to Harmony Design. They wanted to start a new chapter and he was at the forefront of helping them change up their homes to suit their new needs. “I admire the Lion Rock Spirit and attitude of Hong Kongese, people do not fear hardship and don’t give up easily”.

Catherine Siu, Founder of PICS Fine Jewellery

A Hongkonger at heart, Catherine Siu spent high school and university in Auckland, New Zealand before moving back to the city she calls home. While some might assume that her return was simple, readjusting to the hustle and bustle of this teeming city was a challenge. She had grown accustomed to the space and quietness of Auckland. It wasn’t long until the excitement of Hong Kong, and the opportunities that come with it, pulled her back in. “After I moved back here, by chance I got involved with a reputable high jewellery brand as a marketing executive. I wasn’t interested in jewellery back then but as I climbed my career ladder at another international jewellery company, I needed to deal with different types of stones as well, so I started to want to learn more about gemstones”.

Curiosity in gemstones led her to complete her Graduate Gemologist^® programme at the Gemological Institute of America. “It also opened the door to an auction house and a top-tier diamond manufacturer for me. That was where I didn’t only get to see and deal with all different types of jewellery, but also different kinds of people. I started to smell indifference in the air”.

In 2018, Siu began planning her business. That very year was a difficult one for her. “Because of the health of my family member, I needed to be in and out of the hospital every day. I was so thankful that we saw speedy recovery but at the same time, I felt so broken-hearted seeing a lot of patients suffering, without anyone visiting. From that moment, I decided to launch my company and use it as a tool to inspire others. A tool to help those in need with our abilities and expertise. At PICS Fine Jewellery, we praise the uncommon and underestimated gemstones, to encourage others to learn more about minorities and the neglected”.

PICS Fine Jewellery is a contemporary jewellery brand focusing on colours, shapes and characteristics of each different gemstone. The Big four gemstones namely diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald are more widespread in the jewellery world. PICS celebrates the uniqueness and rarity of uncommon exotic gems from different parts of the world. “Abstracting rational thoughts and emotional experiences, we create timeless jewellery by the hands of our exceptionally skilled craftsmen using traditional techniques and tools in our workshop in Hong Kong”.

To Siu, bringing out the individual beauty and uniqueness of each piece is at the core of her company, and the way she conducts herself in business and in life. “You cannot find two gems that are exactly the same, as unique as we all are, there is no gemstone more precious than one another, and there is no jewellery superior to other pieces if it means nothing to you. Being uncommon does not necessarily mean that they should be undervalued. Instead, I have a passion to show the world how exquisite these extraordinary gems are and what they can become”.

Siu’s goal is to “continue inspiring others. It is a life-long journey, and it has no end”. She firmly believes that everyone holds abilities and talents that, if applied correctly and in the right environment, can change the world for the better. “I am trying to show that everyone can contribute to society with what they do best. With constant effort, I hope to see a change in the jewellery industry. Where it is not only about luxury and glamour, but a form of art that allows jewellery designers and jewellery makers to express themselves through their art pieces”.

To Siu, what you wear can be a statement of what you believe in. She has dedicated herself to ensuring that the jewellery in her collections speaks to that. “I’m looking forward to seeing more people understanding the true beauty each gemstone holds naturally. When they are wearing a piece of jewellery, it is not just about how the piece makes them feel, but about what they want to express”.

Read more: Hong Kong Living Influencer Awards 2020: Art and design 

Mehta-Jasani, Founder and Creative Director of Nishita Fine Jewelry

As the fourth generation of a successful jewellery business, Nishita Mehta-Jasani has always had an eye for design. She crafted her first piece of jewellery at just 13-years-old, which her father proudly brought to life. “It was a small round diamond pendant with a short gold tube fused across the top through which a chain could slide. I thought it was cool, modern and innovative. I wore that pendant every day, it was the most precious thing I owned at the time”. But like many teenagers, she wanted to find her way in the world first. She pursued careers in banking and journalism before going back to her passions.

“Throughout both my careers I was designing jewellery for friends and family on the side. It always bothered me though, that the industry had a looming inconvenient truth of heavy mining, a history of conflict stones and serious environmental footprint”. After moving back to Hong Kong in 2008, Mehta-Jasani decided it was time for a more eco-conscious and sustainable jewellery brand to enter the market. She founded Nishita Fine Jewelry in 2017. “The initial process involved a lot of research and thought into putting together a ‘first collection’. Finding the golden balance between the right product mix, design aesthetic and price.

As a new brand in Hong Kong’s ever-growing business sector, Mehta-Jasani felt intimidated by the jewellery connoisseurs. She was also intimidated by the discerning buyers who are exceptionally well educated in the product. “I had no formal training in jewellery except a strong family legacy. I knew I had a natural flair for design. Creating an identity, building trust, and carving out a niche for the brand has been the biggest challenge so far”. While Nishita Fine Jewelry was finding its feet in the market, Mehta-Jasani focused on making it a trunk show model but the events of the past few years meant that she had to adapt quickly to keep her new business in the spotlight.

“I quickly moved to private and online consultations as many shows and fairs were cancelled due to the pandemic. I also had to shift the balance and composition of my collection from ready to wear pieces to more bespoke tailored experiences”. While this was a challenge for her new brand, Mehta-Jasani soon realised that over the course of the pandemic, people had more time to look into their jewellery boxes and wanted to redesign heirloom pieces or design pieces on their wish list. “We cannot decide what life throws at us, but we can adapt and thrive in an ambiguous and turbulent environment”. Over the next few years Mehta-Jasani is looking forward to building up her brands online presence as well as bringing together traditional craftsmanship with modern technology, 3D printing in the hopes of creating more sustainable and ethical pieces.

Mary Wong, Design director of Haven Design

After graduating from architecture school at the University of Hong Kong, Mary Wong found herself working at international award-winning firms, meeting great mentors and taking on key roles in many prestigious interior projects. Eventually, she decided to branch out on her own and opened her design company, Haven Design. Set up in 2013, Wong’s goal with Haven Design was to allow extremely bespoke servicing of its clients. Its aesthetic style is versatile and flexible, concentrating on providing a personalised solution for its clients’ lives.

“Our core belief is that each space should be designed and curated to reflect the character of its owners, creating custom areas that help their daily lives and grow with them, without compromising aesthetic qualities and functional concerns”. Since the pandemic, Wong has noticed people spending a lot more time at home, mostly with their family and kids, leading to changes in expectations and requirements when it comes to designing a space. “With outside spaces being less convenient, people are returning and reinvesting their time and finances into their homes as both social and familial bases”. 

Looking forward, Wong has high hopes for Haven Design. With increased communication technology, new tools and off-site work becoming more prevalent, there has been an increase in overseas clients and there are no signs of it stopping. “I am looking forward to the opportunities and challenges that interacting with different “localities and cultures” will teach us”.

Christoph Murphy, Founder of Brickfucius

Originally from the United Kingdom, Christoph Murphy is a qualified English lawyer. Having relocated to the city in February 2020, his move to Hong Kong was not his first time in Asia, nor was it a massive culture shock thanks to his interest in and passion for Chinese culture. “I’ve always been interested in Chinese culture and longed to immerse myself in a Chinese-speaking environment”. So much so that at Cambridge University, he took a four-year course in Chinese Studies and spent a year in Beijing. As a qualified lawyer, you wouldn’t be able to guess what Murphy does in his free time.

“When I moved to Hong Kong, there were still regular protests and Covid was just starting to spread. I coped with the extra time indoors by picking up a new and unusual hobby, which has since turned into an ambitious long-term project. To put it simply, I am recreating ancient Chinese literature in Lego”. What began as a way to pass the time has become a wonderfully creative outlet and business for Murphy. “Like pretty much everyone, I was a fan of Lego when I was small but, unlike most people, I never stopped being a fan of Lego when I grew up. When I moved to Hong Kong, I had my entire childhood Lego collection shipped with me. In my flat, I have my very own ‘Lego room’, dedicated to building and photographing Lego”.

While some might raise an eyebrow at the contrast of his corporate job and his whimsical passion, Murphy isn’t alone in his interest in Lego. “Fortunately, Lego is an increasingly common and respected hobby amongst adults, especially in the lockdown era. It’s just as common to see adult hobbyists, as well as children, buying the latest line of Lego products”. Murphy’s artistic technique is to create graphic novel adaptations of ancient Chinese literature using photographs of Lego figures and landscapes, which he has published on his Instagram pages, @Brickfucius and @ZhuanziShuo since October 2020. “I started by trying to retell the Zhuangzi, the third century BC Taoist classic which tells the story of the “Butterfly Dream” and is arguably one of the most important books in Chinese literature”.

“At first, I considered the need to study Classical Chinese at Cambridge to be a waste of time and part of the baggage that comes with studying at an old-fashioned university. But after reading millennia-old classics such as Confucius, Zhuangzi, Laozi and Mozi, I was drawn into the stories and began to appreciate why these had withstood the test of time”. And so, the seed was planted. This is around the time Murphy’s vision of Brickfucius began to take shape. It all stems from his goal to make Classical Chinese more accessible by retelling these narratives through Lego.

“As a visual learner, I found it difficult to read pages and pages of Chinese characters. I had hoped to make my studying easier by finding a website depicting Classical Chinese in an accessible form. To my surprise, there was very little out there, despite these stories being especially suited to being illustrated. Eventually, I took up the challenge of illustrating these stories myself, using Lego”. To Murphy, this isn’t just a side project. “Working long hours has taught me the importance of spending my free time meaningfully. I have realised the importance of having a hobby I feel passionate about so that my interests are not limited to the law”.

Read more: The Editors Company offers personalised interior design for a flat fee 

Dr. Angie Lo, Founder Director of CreativeKids and IM Creative

A Hong Kong native, Dr Angie Lo is the founder and owner of CreativeKids and IM Creative, two popular art and design studios for developing creativity among children and families. With five locations between the two, Dr Lo has been making arts and fun accessible for children in Hong Kong since 1991.“CreativeKids was started on a dining table. Our home-based studio was overflowing with children on the weekends so it was natural to move on to a bigger studio, and then a bigger studio… and then more and more studios”.

Dr Lo describes herself as an artist and a designer foremost, rather than a businesswoman. For the past 30 years, she remarks that she has been developing a curriculum plan for kids instead of a business plan. You can feel the passion she has for her work with the children and the reason she has always pushed art and design as an important part of education. “Self-expression is crucial for children to develop their self-image, self-understanding, confidence and a sense of security. Children need different ‘languages’ to express, verbally and non-verbally, explicitly and symbolically”, explains Dr Lo. “It is also important that when children express themselves, we respect and not ridicule their childlike ways”.

With Covid-19 shutting down the city, Dr Lo has had to pivot to creative ways to keep the business running. “The pandemic was a big test of our readiness to face changes, especially the shocking shutdown in many cities. This shock gave us a new perspective on how we equip our children with the ability to make choices and to rehearse consequences in our art and design sessions. Learning art and design does not necessarily have to follow step-by-step procedures. We can allow more room for children to improvise, to embrace ambiguity and uncertainties, like the unpredictable situation we all face these days”. Looking ahead, Dr Lo hopes to do more research among children, to observe and understand how children create, as well as developing with her team new pedagogical perspectives in children’s creative development.