What to Check Out at the 2022 Hong Kong Affordable Art Fair

Ringing in its ninth edition, the Affordable Art Fair (AAF) is once again coming to Hong Kong and will take place this year from Aug. 4-7 at the Convention and Exhibition Centre. Up to 60 galleries will be setting up shop, with artworks being sold at a range between HK$1,000 and HK$100,000.

Noting that majority of exhibitors are Hong Kong-based, fair director Regina Zhang explains to The Beat Asia how AAF has been an active platform geared towards local art lovers, helping them to connect with fresh homegrown artists who are new or on the come up. This year’s fair has also invited galleries from Singapore, South Korea, the U.K., Australia, Italy, and Peru to join the roster.

The AAF will feature a multitude of sections that each run their own art-based programme. Read on to check out our full guide on what to see and do at the 2022 Affordable Art Fair in Hong Kong.

When: Aug. 4-7

Where: Hall 3BC, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

How much: Starting from HK$120, click here to buy tickets

Top Gallery Picks

Aiming to showcase the burgeoning Hong Kong art scene, up to 34 exhibitors in this year’s Affordable Art Fair line up are native to the city, with newly joining participants occupying up to over 30% of the list. As a starting point for fair newbies or eager visitors suffering from choice paralysis, we’ve handpicked our favourite galleries to visit, each representing fascinating elements and perspectives from the local art community.

Amongst the assortment is rising star Young Soy Gallery, home to several of the city’s coolest artists. Proclaimed as an “art gallery for the people,” their body of work consists of culturally relevant and often biting yet tongue-in-cheek reflections on contemporary life. Similarly as hip, with an edge in the realms of brands and commercial art as well, 13a New Street Gallery is an exhibitor serving up playful pieces pulling from broad intertextual references.

New kid on the block, Odds and Ends Gallery is ran by industry veterans Fiona Ho and Natalie Ng. Homing in on the skills of upcoming talents through their exhibition programme that connects artists from different disciplines, their mission to foster budding practitioners is reflected on their curatorial focus on representations in the form of storytelling.

There is also the community-focused Hong Kong Arts Collective, that goes by the vision of supporting and promoting the Hong Konger art ecosystem. Not only is it in their interest to provide a platform and exhibition opportunities for artists looking to make their mark, their Square Prints series also pushes art into an accessible bracket that allows in entry-level collectors to break into the art world.

Young Talent Hong Kong

As part of AAF’s agenda to foster the local art scene, their dedicated Young Talent Hong Kong feature is making an appearance alongside community for creatives, THE NEXTGEN. Bringing on Taiwanese-Artist and Savannah College of Art and Design professor Johnathan Jay Lee to curate the programme, the exhibition body spans 25 young artists, each adding their unique vision to the multimedia dialogue of collaboration.

The list includes budding talents such as: Julia Marinelli, known for her fantastical linework that bursts with motion and colour, Steven John Ho and his cheeky satirical illustrations, Viki Chan with mixed-medium works that play with established or unusual materials, in addition to Reana Bachiller whose work is at once textured and whimsically psychedelic.

Artist workshops

Sticking their guns to their “mission to democratise the art world,” AAF is offering artist-led workshops that will allow visitors to have a brush with creativity.

Encouraging participants to re-remix her local reinterpretations of New Yorker Magazine covers, Sophia Hotung is hosting “Make Your Own Hong Konger,” which requires no prior booking. Participants can chuckle at Hotung’s prints and select one to rework into a parodic front page of their own.

Using only monochrome colours and the simple equipment of ink, acrylic, and pigment pens, admire Italian artist Roberta Boffo in her “For You, For Life, For Love” live mural painting. In her element, she lets the fluid motions of her brushstrokes, lines, and dots guide her creation process.

Special Project Installations

Aside from the living room centrepieces, there is also a range of special and commissioned large installations on showcase, like the 5mx1.8m “Decisions-Alive” by Yihong Hsu that swirls in interesting shapes and colours.

From the vivid spectrums emanating out of the “City Pop” light boxes by Johnathan Jay Lee, to Sophia Hotung’s customised “The Hong Konger Wall” pieced together from bespoke crowdsourced portraits, to striking yellow tubules of movement that form “Climber” by Amber Ng, visitors can admire these sizable artworks.

Partnered Sections

The convention is supported by creative non-profits ARTube Store, Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre (JCCAC), and Keenable Creation, as well as brand partners like RAZE, Citibank, and more.

The JCCAC will be hosting their own booth featuring selected pieces from 10 local artists, whilst Keenable Creation will be highlighting pieces from over 20 differently abled artists. Running alongside these showcases, ARTube Store has created an immersive pop-up allowing visitors to interact with the various genres of art through an innovative mock supermarket setting.

Those looking to delve into the intersection of art and fashion can keep their eyes peeled for the fashion art show hosted by Aurum gallery. Curated by Aurum founder Edna Yau, with sculptural pieces designed by Rita Chung and makeup looks provided by Kamen Wong, the show is on every afternoon from the Thursday to Sunday of the fair.

For the Kids

Young visitors are encouraged to become acquainted with the various forms of art all around the fair, and what better way to do so than coming along on a guided tour with plenty of creative art-based activities. Geared towards children between five and seven years old, and young folks between eight and 14 years old, the Art Loop children’s tour can be booked here.

On top of that, there is also a section for art therapy guided by the Hong Kong Association of Art Therapists for the teen and adult cohort. Take a look at the roster of mindful art classes here and register for your session of choice by clicking here.