Street art makes a splash in Hong Kong during Art Basel

From murals made famous by Instagram to painting battles, Hong Kong’s once largely underground street art scene has exploded in recent years, and is now blossoming across the city’s walls and alleyways.

The commercial high end of the art world is at the fore in March, with gallerists, collectors and celebrities descending on Hong Kong for the annual Art Basel fair.

But English mural artist Dan Kitchener, drawn to the city’s unique geography and energy, made his third visit to Hong Kong this month to depict atmospheric urban scenes with spray paint in its narrow and steep streets.

“Hong Kong’s got that feel to me – the epic scale and the skyscrapers, and then it’s got these little tiny alleyways,” Kitchener told AFP while balancing on bamboo scaffolding as he painted on the outside wall of a city bar.

Trained for many years in watercolor and acrylic painting, 43-yearold Kitchener is particularly fond of portraying neon lights, reflections and rain – sights that first captivated him in Tokyo.

Street art has enjoyed a boost from growing demand in Asia and an increasing number of exhibitions in recent years, giving it a higher profile and more commercial spin in the seaside city.

In 2015 a mosaic of 1970s US cartoon character Hong Kong Phooey by French artist Invader sold at auction in Hong Kong for HK$2 million ($258,000).