In Hong Kong, which frequently tops global lists of the most expensive cities, space is the ultimate luxury. While the works of Hong Kong-based artists are often on view, the spaces where they come to life remain largely unseen, leaving us to imagine what their studios might reveal. Even for seasoned collectors, a studio visit might be a rare treat.
Founded in 1996 by seven Hong Kong-based artists, Para Site, on the eastern end of Hong Kong Island in Quarry Bay, is one of the city’s oldest independent art institutions. Their on-site residency programme supports the development of artists’ research and practice while also providing studio space on the building’s tenth floor, separate from their primary exhibition space on the top floor.
This summer, Para Site welcomed Hong Kong-based Sam Lui as their resident artist. Through her ongoing project, Wendy’s Wok World – part culinary exploration, part artistic alter ego – Lui investigates the discipline and philosophy inherent in wok cooking, pursuing ideals of purity and perfection. This endeavour has taken her from the kitchen of her family’s soy sauce factory in Sheung Shui to international venues, such as the Swiss Institute in New York in 2023, where she has prepared Cantonese classics for participants as both communal ritual and artistic statement.
Lui’s temporary studio at Para Site resembled her interdisciplinary approach. A round table with a Lazy Susan, like those found in Chinese restaurants, anchored the space, with information on her former projects nearby. In the back, a seating area displayed books by Roland Barthes, Theodor W. Adorno, and Byung-chul Han, a nod to her background in philosophy. As part of the residency, Lui conducted a book club that invited participants to inscribe the central table with reflections on themes such as purity and secrecy, which will eventually inform an artist book examining intangible culture.
According to Junni Chen, Para Site’s Deputy Director, artist selection hinges on programmatic alignment and broader impact: “It really is what we feel connects to our programme. There are different dimensions, for example, we prefer programmes that have an element of community building and thought leadership. If they haven’t exhibited in Hong Kong before or had a milestone here, we generally want to support them.”
On the Kowloon side, in the heart of Shek Kip Mei, the Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre (JCCAC) is a former factory building that has been transformed into an arts centre, first opening in 2008. The nine-storey complex houses a mix of cafés, workshops, and studios. On its third floor sits Floating Projects, an artist collective founded in 2010 by artist, curator and former City University professor Linda Lai Chiu-han, who retired from the School of Creative Media in 2023.
Floating Projects operates as a fully artist-run, multipurpose space, part exhibition venue, part library, and part café. The exhibition area often features a range of works from the collective, spanning video, installation and sculpture. Recently on view and especially eye-catching, Monster Boxes, a work by Kel Lok and Andio Lai, comprises a wooden box which stands no more than half a metre, featuring a small circular rotating platform in the middle, onto which two small figurines, both chimaeras composed of different animal figurines, are attached by magnets. Inside the box, more figurines await configuration.
The artists describe their approach as “toy as medium”, an idea central to the collective’s spirit of experimentation. Reflecting on this ethos, founder Linda Lai explains: “There’s a lot for us to think about in terms of not doing the usual thing. What and who are being left out of the discussions because of standards or consensus? Hong Kong, like many other places, is full of standard practices.”
The studio functions as both a working space and an incubator for ideas among its members. In its mission statement, Floating Projects emphasises a collective commitment to “rigorous mutual critique” and to “an evolving approach to art-making that treats each work as an open process with generative potential.”
“We think of every member as an individual unit,” Lai adds. “Everyone has their own dynamic. We invite them to mark their calendars for when they want to do something, for what, and for how long. We want to see if there’s anything we can help with, and we also need to arrange an official in-house critique session.”
Back on Hong Kong Island in Central, and a bit away from the commercial high-rises it is typically known for, stands PMQ (formerly the Police Married Quarters), a historic site repurposed into a creative hub for independent craftspeople and artists. Tucked away on its seventh floor is the studio of Cynthia Mak.
With its inviting glass façade, Mak’s studio offers passers-by a glimpse into her colourful world. Inside, vibrant paintings and sculptures abound. A graduate of Central Saint Martins, Mak began her career in fashion before transitioning to multimedia art. Her practice has since become instantly recognisable in Hong Kong, with works being featured by the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hermès, and Lane Crawford. Characterised by geometric abstraction and vivid hues, poppy red, cyan, and powder pink, her art draws inspiration from Hong Kong’s cultural identity. She is currently working on a large-scale abstract interpretation of a shanshui (mountain and water) painting.
“I believe that the first thing that resonates with viewers in my work is a sense of joy,” Mak notes. “Much of my abstract work is inspired by my cultural background and everyday experiences.”
Also located in PMQ is Print Art Contemporary, operated by Hong Kong Open Printshop. Dedicated to the history and evolution of printing, the space features educational displays about Hong Kong’s print and typography heritage, including antique printing equipment and a wall-length shelf with movable type pieces.
The Hong Kong Open Printshop also operates a 4,000-square-foot professional Print Lab at JCCAC, where recipients of the annual Hong Kong Open Printshop Award (HKOP Award) complete six-month residencies that provide mentorship, materials, technical support, and an exhibition venue at the end of their residency, aligning with the Printshop’s mission of fostering and nurturing emerging talents. In 2025, the award was granted to artists Julie May and Enna Cheung Yeuk-fei, culminating in two solo exhibitions hosted at Print Art Contemporary, accompanied by live demonstrations at the Print Lab.
Together, private studios like Mak’s, institution-led residencies such as those at Para Site, artist-run initiatives like Floating Projects, and hybrid models like Print Art Contemporary and Print Lab reveal the diversity of spaces that sustain Hong Kong’s artistic ecosystem. In a city where space is scarce, these sites serve as vital environments for creation, experimentation, and community connection. Stepping inside them is to experience one of the many ways that artists often turn limited resources into expansive creative potentiality.
