Name: Bao
Crew: –
Location: Hong Kong
Active since: 2015
Favorite surface/medium: paint and brush, ball pen, marker
Personal motivation: Painting makes me happy
Contact(site, instagram, tumblr, fb etc ):
https://www.facebook.com/HavinANiceDay/
https://instagram.com/simplebao/
Q: How long are you into street art/illlustration ? Give me little background of your starts.
I’ve been drawing since I was little, but I started being a freelance illustrator and mural artist since 2015. After I traveled 2 years overseas.
Q: How did you learn the drawing skills? Do you have formal art training?
I taught myself. I used to study design and became a graphic designer for 6 years.
Q: How would you describe your style?
Freestyle? I usually don’t have plan for my work. I just let my pen flow most of the time.
Q: Is there any particular message that people should read from your art?
I hope to let people using they imagination. To make the story by themselves with the elements and creatures from my drawing.
Q: What’s your favorite medium to work with?
Ball pen, I really like it.
Bao Ho next to the work she did for Bobsy of Mana! outside his new cafe in Pound Lane, Tai Ping Shan. Photo: May Tse
Street artist Bao Ho is the reigning champion of Hong Kong wall art. Ho, who won the Hong Kong leg of the Secret Walls art battle that concluded in July, is making a living from her art – not bad for someone who has only been in the business a year.
She is nothing like the old-school image of a graffiti artist – a tattooed rebel wielding a spray can and operating under the cover of night. Polite, soft-spoken, not a tattoo in sight, the 27-year-old Hongkonger is modest about her win and says she’s got so much to learn. But beneath the sweet smile – perhaps more a cheeky grin, like the ones she gives her “Bao” characters – she has a feisty streak. She didn’t prepare for the July 3 final of Secret Walls – in which artists battle to create the best work in front of a live audience – preferring to freestyle.
“I was really angry that day – I was annoyed by something one of my clients said which was rude – so I drew on that emotion,” says Ho.
Bao Ho at work during the final of the Secret Walls contest at Backstage Live in Central in July. Photo: Secret Walls
She didn’t know until she got on stage to face her competition, fellow artist Jay Pelmet, in a 90-minute paint-off at the Backstage Live venue that she would paint an angry figure – multiple bulging eyes and clenched fists. At the heart of Ho’s success is a confidence to recognise how she is feeling and channel those emotions. Fortunately, most of the time Ho is a happy soul and her delightful, whimsical murals occupy some key wall space in Central and Sheung Wan.
Ho has a distinctive style, her black and white murals a striking graphic mix of human bodies, animals, flowers and patterns with the addition of perhaps one colour. A self-taught artist, Ho has always enjoyed doodling, but it wasn’t until she went overseas in 2013 that she got the courage to do something about it.
“I wanted to go to Australia to busk and sell my art – I wanted to see if I could support myself through my art,” says Ho.
After a year in Australia, she was invited to Taiwan to join a live painting event and from there to France and then to Italy, where a street-artist friend signed her up for her first art jamming event. “There were so many cool artists there and I was so nervous. It was the first time I painted on a wall in front so many people,” she says.
Ho’s finished work. Photo: Secret Walls
Less than a year on and she is now a pro when it comes to getting on stage and facing a blank canvas in front of a roomful of strangers. There was a big crowd for the third and final round of the Hong Kong Street Walls competition last month and Ho was unfazed.
“I really had fun. It’s easier for me to get up there without preparing before because if I think too much I will have too many ideas and in the end can’t use them all,” says Ho.
A lot has happened in a short space of time. When she came back to Hong Kong late last year she yearned to making a living from her art, but wasn’t sure how that might be possible. Life is tough for artists around the world and even more so in Hong Kong. Determined to make a go of it, she sought out like-minded people and in March signed up for HKWalls, an annual street graffiti festival.
A nonprofit venture, HKWalls brings local and international talent to the city to transform large exterior walls into original works of art. All the wall space is donated and the artists do their work for free, too. Ho was given a wall on Pound Lane and covered it with a playful black and white mural with pale blue highlights.
The striking artwork led to paid commissions – the first for a restaurant in Aberdeen and then another on Wellington Street, Central, beside the Mana! for the hip yoga-inspired sportswear company, Lululemon.
Ho said she „really had fun” at the contest final. Photo: Secret Walls
Bobsy from Mana! loved the work so much that he has commissioned another piece for outside his new cafe in Pound Lane, Tai Ping Shan, that opened at the end of last month. Ho charges HK$10,000 to HK$15,000 for a mural depending on the size. And while she is open to direction, most of her clients come to her because they like her style.
“A blank wall in a shop is so boring. A cool artwork is a talking point. It changes the feel of the space and makes it more relaxed and friendly,” says Ho.
Her mother wasn’t entirely enthusiastic about Ho’s plan to try and make a living as a street artist, but Ho is slowly winning her over. Every competition win, commission or news story helps persuade her that perhaps a full-time job isn’t everything and it is possible to make a living doing something that you love.
“We were made to draw and dance and be creative, but when we become adults we seem to forget about these things. I want to paint – it makes me happy,” says Ho.
The local street art community is small, says Ho – no more than 100 people – but this is a plus as it means it’s easy to get to know everyone and artists support each other. On the downside, Hong Kong is effective at policing graffiti and the lifespan of street art is short compared to other cities.
While in the West it can easily take six months before authorities paint over pieces of graffiti, in Hong Kong they are usually erased in a matter of days. Ho has done some illicit works around town, but is careful to pick spots that are remote and always checks to make sure there are no surveillance cameras around. Fortunately, as more Hong Kong businesses commission art, Ho can be assured that her work will be around for some time.
“I see things changing in Hong Kong. It would have been hard to do what I do before, but now shops and restaurants are more open to how art can transform their spaces,” says Ho.
Interview via South China Morning
Versiune in limba română
I: De cat timp te ocupi de arta si ilustratie? Povesteste-mi inceputurile tale ca artista.
Desenez de cand sunt mica dar am inceput sa fiu artist ilustrator si muralist din 2015. Dupa ce am calatorit 2 ani.
I: Cum ai invatat sa desenezi? Ai studii superioare de arta?
Am invatat singura. Am studiat design si am fost graphic desiger pentru 6 ani.
I: Cum ti-ai descrie stilul?
Freestyle? In general nu planuiesc nimic, doar imi las creioanele sa pluteasca si merge totul cu flow.
I: Exista un mesaj pe care privitorul trebuie sa il citeasca din arta ta?
Imi place sa ii las pe oameni sa isi foloseasca propria imaginatie. Sa faca singuri povestea cu elementele si creaturiile din desenele mele.
I: Cu ce iti place sa lucrezi cel mai mult?
Cu pixul, chiar imi place mult.
Street artist Bao Ho este campioana Hong Kongului la arta stradala. Ho care a castigat Hong Kong leg la Secret Walls Art Battle care a avut loc in Iulie, castiga din arta sa- nu e rau pentru cineva care s-a apucat de treaba acum un an.
Nu seamana deloc cu imaginea clasica de street artist pe care o avem- rebela tatuata care invarte un can de vopsea si opereaza numai sub valul noptii. Defapt este politicoasa, blanda in vorbire, fara tatuaje la vedere, artista de 27 de ani este modesta cu privire la castigul ei si spune ca mai are foarte multe de invatat. Dar sub zambetul dulce- probabil mai bine zambetul obraznic pe care il da si persoanjelor ei „Bao”-are o flacara de energie. Nu a pregatit nimic pentru concursul Secret Walls- unde artisti se lupta sa creeze cea mai buna lucrare in fata unui public- ea a preferat sa deseneze freestyle.
“Eram foarte nervoasa in ziua aia, m-am suparat pe ceva ce a spus un client care mi s-a parut nepoliticos- asa ca am desenat emotia aia.” spune Ho.
Nu a stiut cum sa faca fata competitei pana nu a urcat pe scena, alaturi de artistul Jay Pelmet, intr-un paint-off la Backstage Live Venue, unde a pictat un personaj nervos cu multi ochii bulbucati si pumni inclestati. Succesul lui Ho are la baza increderea pe care o are in ce simte si cum canalizeaza acele emotii. Din fericire, mai tot timpul Ho este un suflet fericit iar lucrarile ei incantatoare si fantastice ocupa o parte din peretii principali in Central si Sheung Wan.
Ho are un stil distinctiv, picturiile ei murale alb-negru-un mix grafic de corpuri umane, animale,flori si patternu-uri, inca o culoare este adaugata uneori. Un artist autodidact, intotdeauna i-a placut sa faca doodles si sa schiteze, dar abia dupa ce a calatorit pe alt continent in 2013 a prins curajul sa faca ce cu talentul ei.
„Am vrut sa merg in Australia sa imi vand arta- am vrut sa vad daca pot sa ma sustin prin arta mea”, spune Ho.
Dupa un an in Australia, a fost invitata in Taiwan la un eveniment de pictat live si de acolo in Franta, urmata de Italia unde un prieten street artist a inscris-o la primul ei eveniment de art jamming. „Erau atat de multi artisti tari si eu eram asa agitata. A fost pentru prima oara cand am pictat un perete in fata atat de multor oameni.” ,spune ea.
In mai putin de un an a devenit increzatoare cand vine vorba de a urca pe scena in fata unei panze goale intr-o camera plina de necunoscuti.
„Chiar m-am distrat. E mai usor sa ma urc pe scena nepregatita pentru ca daca ma gandesc prea mult am prea multe idei si in final ajung sa nu le pot folosi pe toate” ,spune ea.
Multe s-au intamplat intr-un timp foarte scurt. Cand a revenit la Hong Kong anul trecut tot ce isi dorea era sa-si castige existenta prin arta sa, dar nu era sigura cum ar fii asta posibil. Viata este dura pentru artisti din intreaga lume, cu atat mai mult in Hong Kong. Determinata sa faca asta, ea a cautat oameni asemanatori ei si in Martie s-a inscris la HKWalls, un festival anual de de graffiti.
O organizatie non-profit, HKWalls aduna artisti locali si internationali sa transforme mari spatii exterioare in originale opere de arta. Peretele este donat iar artistul deseneaza tot ca si donatie. Lui Ho i-a revenit un perete in Pound Lane pe care l-a acoperit cu un jucaus mural alb negru cu accente de albastru pastelat.
Lucrarea puternica a condus catre alte comenzi platite-prima pentru un restaurant in Aberdeen si una pe Wellington Street, Central, Mana! pentru noua companie inspirata din yoga de imbracaminte sport, Lululemon.
Lui Bobsy de la Mana! i-a placut atat de mult lucrarea incat a mai facut o oferta pentru o pictura murala pe fatada cafenelei din Pound Lane, Tai Ping Shan, care s-a deschis la sfarsitul lunii trecute. Ho cere intre HK10,000 si HK15,000 , adica in jur de 150 de Euro. Chiar daca este deschisa la indrumari, majoritatea clientilor vin la ea datorita stilului si ideilor sale.
„Un peret gol intr-un magazin e plictisitor. O lucrare tare poate incepe o conversatie, schimba atmosfera spatiului, devine mult mai relaxat si prietenos” ,spune Ho.
Mama sa nu a fost la fel de entuziasmata de planurile lui Ho de a-si castiga existenta ca si artist stradal, dar Ho o cucereste cu fiecare competitie castigata, comanda sau articol o ajuta in incercarea sa de arata ca poate un job full-time nu este totul si ca este posibil sa traiesti din ceea ce iubesti.
„Am fost facuti sa desenam sa dansam si sa fim creativi, dar cand devenim adulti se pare ca uitam de lucrurile astea. Eu vreau sa pictez, ma face fericita”-Ho
Comunitatea locala de street art este mica, spune Ho, nu mai mult de 100 de oameni, dar asta este un plus pentru ca ajungi sa cunosti fiecare artist si sa va sustineti reciproc. Partea proasta este ca Hong Kong comparat cu alte orase este sistemul de politie impotriva graffitiului este foarte eficace si in general lucrarile nu rezista mult pe pereti.
Pe cand in Vest, pot sa treaca usor 6 luni pana ca autoritatile sa picteze peste, iar in Hong Kong este vorba de cateva zile. Ho a desenat in niste locuri interzise in jurul orasului dar intotdeauna are grija sa aleaga bine locul sa se asigure ca nu sunt camere de supraveghere. Din fericire, cum are tot mai multe comenzi, se poate asigura ca lucrarile ei vor ramane pe pereti ceva timp.
„Vad cum se schimba lucrurile in Hong Kong. Ar fii fost dificil sa fac ce fac acum inainte, dar acum magazinele si restaurantele sunt mult mai deschise in ceea ce priveste arta ca si transformare a spatiului.”, spune Ho.
