On the left, there are an Old General Post Office and signboards of businesses such as law firms and dental offices, which are hung on an industrial building. They were drawn black-and-white to show their disappearance amidst the rapid development of Hong Kong and create nostalgic feelings.

In contrast with black-and-white objects from the past, the colourful skyscrapers in the upper right hand corner show positivity and hope for Hong Kong’s bright future. In the middle, the staircase illustrates the transition from the past to the future. The fancy car which points towards the sky symbolises the prosperity of Hong Kong.

The woman in the middle wearing a black amah suit and carrying sweet tangerines is gazing at the skyscrapers and the sky towards the future. The gas deliverer in the lower right corner is heading towards the path which leads to the skyscrapers. The two characters show the aspirations of the people from the past.

My work shows the differences between the old Hong Kong and modern Hong Kong. There is a bowl of rice with lard right in front of an old couple. A bottle of soy sauce is pouring out. They are looking forward to tasting the delicious food they usually had in the past. Rice with soy sauce and lard was one of the most common dishes in old Hong Kong, as it was used to satisfy hunger but it is hard to find the dish nowadays. It shows that many things were lost during Hong Kong’s rapid development. As the soy sauce is poured out with nostalgic items which are also disappearing in Hong Kong, the elderly couple recalls their good old days in Hong Kong.

The differences between the old and new are also emphasised in the background, which is dull and depicts the hustle and bustle of the city.​​​​​​​

Nowadays, most people focus on new things in our city, but they are unaware that the old Hong Kong was equally beautiful. Nostalgic dishes, culture or even lifestyle are really special, but they are disappearing. We should appreciate and cherish our cultural heritage and traditions before it is too late.

My work shows the relationship between the speaker’s grandmother and the speaker. The title of the poem is “Tiny Scissors”, and my artwork depicts a grandmother who is holding a pair of scissors with another girl – the speaker. They are cutting food into small pieces. The cuisine they are preparing is ginger pork intestines, a Hakka delicacy that the speaker made with her grandmother. For the grandmother’s clothes, I drew the pattern of my school bag, which my grandmother bought for me. Additionally, I drew the table as the world because I believe that when family members have each other, they have the world.

Nowadays, many teenagers find their parents’ “nagging” annoying and do not want to talk to them in a friendly manner or engage in conversations. In my artwork, as I portray the loving relationship between the speaker and her grandmother, I hope that all teenagers can cherish the people around them, including their family members, teachers and friends.

My work shows the view of urbanisation. The main colour, grey, represents cement and the loss of vitality. During the rapid development of cities, people start living like hermits and become cut off from the outside world. I drew a city that looks like a bird’s nest comprising rebar and cement. Although all the things are colourless, there is a hint of colour on the buildings, which symbolises warmth and life.

An old lady carries a basket of groceries for her family. She is the housewife who cooks for her family. The building underneath is a symbol of different families eating together with warmth. The pattern on the bowls symbolises traditional Cantonese culture, as expressed in lines 11-12 of the poem “a gimmicky nostalgia of hunger in Cantonese restaurants.” The pack of rice and the bottle of soy sauce echo the title while “a taste of closeness from home to home” is conveyed through the smoke coming out of different apartments, from home to home.

This poem describes many old and new things in Central, such as the old post office, somber law firms, hubbub of the stock exchange and other old things slowly disappearing, all in the eyes of  “you’’. Skyscrapers and people walking through the traffic lights are like time, fleeting. I used light and shadow to make the people on the road look like they were walking very fast, and the law firm was as dark as the mood of the poem. The most important thing is the whirlpool, which involves many things. I used lines to connect them, and each line forms a large whirlpool, which is very beautiful, just like the flowers floating on the tree. I also added three-dimensional sketches to everything in the pictures, hoping to make them more realistic with gradients. I also used glue to create the scene of wisps of light passing through the shade of the trees.

This is a special place that is yet to be developed. Here, you can still enjoy the beautiful sight of the sun shining on the horizon, which is not something you can easily see in a busy city.

In fact, there are even houses built on the water here. The people who live in this place are more laid-back and less stressed compared to those who live in the city. The simplicity and relaxed atmosphere here is very different from that in the busy city.

I took this picture because it reminded me about how difficult it is to find a place that hasn’t been covered in concrete. It is rare to come across a spot where urbanisation hasn’t taken over yet. In our fast-developing city, it is becoming harder to find untouched natural spaces like this one.

This photo not only captures a beautiful moment but also reminds us to strike a balance between urban development and preservation of natural places.

The composition encourages the viewers to look at the trees first, and then through the branches to the Cantonese class scene, and on to the main character. Different colours are used to enhance the contrast of the character in different scenes.

In addition, I combined the scenes and words from the poem with my imagination. For example, I imagined the teacher as a gentle but serious person, so I painted her as the teacher wearing black clothes. As for the blonde foreigner in the Cantonese class, my impression is that she is very straightforward, so I used a warm colour scheme to represent this.

The poem “On My Way to Cantonese Class” celebrates language as a bridge between cultures, promoting diversity and communication for understanding and connection.

My artwork portrays a vibrant Hong Kong street with vintage transportation and a lively atmosphere. The scene reflects the city’s rich heritage with historical buildings and old public transport, which adds a nostalgic touch to the artwork. The drawing techniques utilised aim to display intricate details and liveliness of the scene and capture Hong Kong’s unique culture through ornate designs and patterns. The black and white colour scheme evokes a timeless retro aesthetic while the main character, a young girl on her way to Cantonese class, stands out in vivid colors, symbolising her journey of cultural exploration.

This poem depicts the speaker’s grandmother through describing her speech, thought, actions and look. The heirloom, the pair of scissors, was passed down across generations to signify the affectionate relationship between the grandmother and the speaker. Therefore, I illustrated the scene to portray the love and care the grandmother had for her granddaughter and the inheritance across generations in the family.

In the depths of my imagination, the poem “modern concrete” visualises a “utopia” where everyone dreams about money and power while other dreams are suppressed. My drawing, at first glance, seems vibrant and colourful. However, on closer inspection, one may notice that the drawing is conspicuously dominated by one colour ­­­– orangish-yellow. This colour represents ambitions. The monotone suggests that all ambitions are mostly the same. The dominant colour of orangish-yellow makes the other colours dull and go unnoticed. But in the end, other colours always shine through and it signifies that we should not give up on our dreams even if they are different or not supported. There is always someone who is able to embrace our uniqueness and share our ambitions.

I used watercolour and coloured pencils to draw this piece of artwork. The left hand side of the drawing is in black and white. The person driving the “gleaming silver car” mentioned in the poem is seen as a shadow, portraying the dullness and lifelessness of that side of the city.

On the contrary, the area on the right side is much livelier and more colourful. The sky is bright blue and is clearing up. This part of the city is lit up by the mutual help, care and love. I adopted simple drawing techniques to present this half as I believe showing love and warmth to others is simple and easy. Although some people are leading a busy life in a modern city, they can still offer help and show their care to others to make our home lovely and warm.

The painting consists of a background with duller and darker colours, and blurry dark silhouettes of people attaching to their mobiles, displaying how the world as described in the poem has become cold and practical. Buildings in darker tones tower high above, hiding the blue sky which is part of the vibrant nature we rarely appreciate. The couple on the left of the traffic light are drawn to their screens even when they are together, further emphasising the lack of human interaction. Last but not least, the golden figure on the right of the traffic light, reaching out to the silhouette, represents how she tries for colour but hasn’t succeeded, just like what the poet has been doing.

Although most parts of the painting are of dull colours depicting the lifelessness of the city, vibrant colours spread across the ground where a gentleman helps an old lady cross the road and carries the oranges for her while the old lady smiles at him with gratitude. This shows how not only acts of kindness, but human touch and connections could inject warmth and vibrancy into the city covered in modern concrete.

Time slips away in a distorted manner. As people grow old, they begin to experience changes physically and in life. For example, they may experience memory loss and their hair begins to turn grey, skin becomes rough, and teeth begin to fall off. It is important to learn to appreciate everything around us, especially our family. The traditions passed down embody wisdom, which helps us face the inevitable cycle of life, including birth, aging, illness and death, with a positive mindset.

Lucy is savouring a bowl of rice with some expensive food. As she is having her meal, her childhood memories flood her mind. The bowl of rice evokes the memories of the time when she had rice with soy sauce with her family.

In my artwork, I used a lot of pink and orange to depict the girl’s sweet memories, which are presented with a roll of film. Though the living conditions were not satisfactory in the past, she still felt warm as she was embraced by the love from her family. The girl appears upset now in front of the dish she used to enjoy with her family because she cannot truly find the joy of eating the same dish alone now.

As time passes by, it seems harder for a grown-up to feel happy. Nevertheless, it is important to learn to appreciate the things we have at present. By doing so, we may discover new sources of joy that may otherwise go unnoticed. I hope my painting can transport viewers to their childhood and remind them of the forgotten happiness.

The top left corner illustrates the author walking by the banyan trees on her way to Cantonese class. It captures the popular trees in Hong Kong.

The bottom continues to show the struggles of the author in the Cantonese class, piling up with tests. The poem also depicts a blond British man next to her struggling with Cantonese too. It shows how difficult it is to learn the language.

The rest of the drawing details the encounter between the writer and a little girl wearing a pink tutu and pink tights saying “m’ ho yi si”, which means “excuse me” in Cantonese. The poem captures Hong Kong’s environment, lifestyle and language.

A vintage colour tone is used to portray the small cramped living room of the grandmother. With only basic furniture in the flat, the fact that the speaker’s grandmother still hosted family gathering by setting two mahjong tables side by side fully demonstrates her hospitality.

The tiny scissors with a heart background on the bottom left hand corner represents the passing down of the scissors from the grandmother to the granddaughter and the love between them. The scissors serve as an heirloom. The ritual glorifies the family heritage and legacy handed down to the granddaughter. The two illustrations surrounded with hearts on the top left depict the speaker’s recollection of fond memories with her grandmother.

The pair of scissors was a reminder for the speaker that she will age too and should treasure the love from her grandmother. Yellow was also used to display the affectionate relationship between the grandmother and granddaughter.

My piece is about old Central transforming into modern Central. The European-style post office has now been re-established into a contemporary office. This painting shows the contrast between the past and the present: the enormous differences in people, architecture and atmosphere. The pace of the bustling Central a century ago has quickened and technology has advanced. Gone were the past Central’s unique bicycle bell sounds, the shouts of citizens bargaining and the rolling sounds of the rickshaw strolling in the rocky streets.

This painting showcases the suffocating poet and his loss of connection with society. Dark and gloomy colours are used to demonstrate the choking atmosphere under the modern concrete, as how the poet emphasised the lack of colours in the city. In the upper part of this painting, more colours are added, showing that colours are present in the outside world (as long as we escape from the trapped society). In this painting, a tied-up hand is struggling to reach for the light, symbolising the eagerness of the poet to discover the outside world. Another significant spark is the river from the sky. As the poet broaches his disappointment with society, the river, as a natural element, is used as a channel for communication. The torn newspaper represents that unless we are willing to explore and to break through, we will never be able to see the light. This painting includes most of the elements hinted in the poem. It manifests the poet’s determination to build a more colourful world.

The tone of the poem is nostalgic and sentimental. In order to create a vintage effect, I used low saturation colours. The speaker recalled what he had seen in Central in the past. After reading the poem which depicts the hustle and bustle of the district in the old days, I drew some symbolic items including the greenery, different modes of vehicles, and some old architectural elements. On the right hand side, I painted an old building with brown as the main tone and traditional signboards for different shops. I also drew an amah standing under a tree and some leaves falling to the ground to create a sad atmosphere.

The speaker expresses a sense of loss towards the disappearance of these familiar people and things. With the rapid development of Hong Kong, I can deeply feel the speaker’s feelings. We should cherish what we have now and preserve Hong Kong’s unique culture.

In the black and white concrete world we are living, we can feel bored and lonely looking at the stark concrete buildings. Inspired by the poem, I tried to convey my own feelings of the modern concrete world I see in the drawing. I mainly used greyish colours to paint the surrounding buildings but vibrant colours on the character standing in the middle of the road to create a contrast and make the main character stand out. I have also outlined details of the sky by painting it with a comforting blue.

I was touched by the poem “modern concrete”. In my drawing, the colours of the buildings are mostly black, grey and white, representing the lack of warmth and vibrancy in the poem. That part of the drawing also presents the lifelessness of the modern concrete which is desolate. On the other hand, the colorful part of the drawing represents my own desperate desire to feel the beauty and warmth of nature. I struggle between the cold and boring actual cityscape and the colourful and warm imagined environment. One side is where I wanted to escape from and the other is the city that I desire for.

The speaker recalls the memories of being a child in Hong Kong and being in Central with the amah in the poem. The artwork aims to portray the speaker’s memories of Central in the past.

History and memories remind us of our past, as well as our culture and traditions.

Our past was important and meaningful for us because it shapes who we are in the present.

Many shop signs and neon signs in the past were shown in the artwork to highlight the importance of conserving history.

“Central” by Leung Ping Kwan highlights how the rapid development of Hong Kong and the fast-paced living in our CBD robs away the valuable people and things that come and go in our lives, only leaving a strong sense of nostalgia.

This makes me reflect on how we rush here and there every day, pushing through the crowds and overworking. We seldom slow down to be aware of what really makes life worth living for.

In this artwork, I mainly drew the landmarks and the crowd with dimmer colours and cool tones like brown and blue to show how emotionless and mundane they are. The absence of facial expression of the crowd further portrays their emptiness and soullessness. On the contrary, the two main characters are coloured with warm and vibrant colours to separate from the background and shows how having people we love are key to living a fulfilling life.

In this artwork, the pair of eyes on the right belongs to the speaker, representing the curiosity and amazement of the girl. Those on the left are the grandfather’s eyes. They carry his emotions and remembrance of his mother. Inside the nest, a mother bird is taking care of her baby and eggs. The scene visualises the experience and loss of maternal love deep in the grandfather’s heart.

The artwork captures a moment of quiet contemplation of the grandfather and his connection with his grandchild, as they witness the nurturing love of the mother bird. While the artwork may not portray the idea of motherly love or the grandfather’s remembrance of his own mother directly or explicitly, it serves as a visual representation of the tender moments shared across generations and the appreciation for motherly love in the natural world.

The poem is about the poet’s reminiscence of his childhood caretaker, the woman with a braid wearing a black amah suit and carrying a basket of tangerines. It conveys the speaker’s nostalgia.

In the poem, the artist talks about a morning in Central in the old Hong Kong, with office workers hurrying to their headquarters and post officers riding bicycles and holding tin lunch boxes on their heads.

The poem is nostalgic. The protagonist in the poem is the poet’s childhood caretaker. Therefore, I used a different medium, colour pencils, to draw the caretaker in order to make her stand out from the crowd. Besides, I used watercolour to draw the crowd. Since watercolour can fade like “the faltering shadow of flowers”, the protagonist is accentuated by contrast. Contrary to the watercolour background, the old-style post office on the top left was outlined with colour pencils. This makes the building stand out, just like the caretaker. By contrasting these against the fluid background, I aimed to recreate the nostalgic tone – the vivid image of a loved one surrounded by dimming recollections of the past.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong, many of us are living a modern hermit life. We are like snails secluded in tiny and confined pigeonhole flats jam-packed in a mountain of concrete buildings, with our visions impaired.

Yet, a bottom-up perspective reveals an uplifting gateway for growth, joy, connection, and fulfilment. Transcending the confines of physical surroundings, it cultivates a vision of depth and dimensionality. Those are hopes and dreams with which we leap and thrive.

In a pigeonhole flat, confined, and small,

I dream of adding colour to life’s call.

With a brush of hopes and dreams,

I defy monotony as the curtain of darkness begins to fall.

Though confined to walls of grey,

I find solace in the words I say.

Hope and dreams, my guiding light.

From a bottom-up perspective, I take flight.

The “blurry” spots of light and the direction of lines represent the flow of time.

I portrayed the woman wearing a black “amah suit” and carrying a bag of tangerines, as described by the speaker in the poem.

The warm brown and orange hues were used in the “old” version of Central while the “present” Central was in the colour palette of more futuristic blues and greys to contrast the difference between the past and the present.

The city was never colourful, you might search for colour but couldn’t find any.

So you held on the sharpest colour you could keep, assuming the city was colourless.

The city was never colourful, all you could see was black and white.

You tried for colour, however the city wouldn’t allow you.

The city was never colourless, just that you couldn’t spot it.

You might look closer to the sky and streets, there was blue and purple,

hiding among black and white.

The city was never colourless, you could spot the city’s colours if you slow down.

The poet sits opposite her grandmother in a cosy room. The grandmother is slowly consuming the rest of her meal as she has to cut the food into tiny pieces tirelessly to attend to her toothless gums. The poet, with her appetite satiated, watches her patiently and lovingly.  The room is cramped but the atmosphere remains comforting and nostalgic, portrayed through hues and shades of yellow, green, red and brown that envelope the piece. The pair of scissors do not only act as a barrier between the pair, symbolising the passing of a loved one, but also as a family heirloom which connects them. The texts on the pair of scissors, representing Hakka and Cantonese, are different in shape but work well together, much like the handles of a pair of scissors. The poet’s eyes are teary as she receives the heirloom. She recognises that her grandmother’s time is soon fading. The cramped and mundane scene is framed by gold, showing that the most ordinary scenes can be a person’s most treasured memories.

The artwork shows a figure in red, standing in the middle of the city with buildings towering over him/her. The figure is also standing in a puddle which reflects symbolic objects of the old Hong Kong, like stilt houses and fishing boats. Although the buildings are in a dull monochrome, the figure itself and the reflection of the puddle are bursting with colour. The blurry amorphous cars in the background not only give a sense of uncertainty and loss of direction, but also exhibit the repetition of the line “the cars gleam silver like fishes”. The towering buildings give a sense of confinement, echoing the poet’s view of the city not allowing him to try for colour. In addition, they directly parallel the mountains in the reflection, insinuating that there is nature in mankind and mankind in nature (as shown through the stilt houses).

The painting style of the artwork is not aiming for realistic or detailed brushwork. Instead, it focuses more on the colours and the message that it brings. The reflection of “modern Hong Kong” is painted in less detail than “olden Hong Kong”, indicating the poet’s fear of the loss of human interaction.

Although the artwork may seem depressing and despairing at first glance, its message is much more positive. The artwork conveys hope in humanity. The figure in the middle is dressed in red, an auspicious colour for the Chinese, a manifestation of how Hong Kong will not lose its original roots. Even though the figure may seem alone, he/she is standing in a colourful puddle, signifying that he/she stays hopeful. The figure completes the artwork, connecting both the buildings and stilt houses. This ties in with the theme of loss of human touch, and sends the message that it is vital to have hope and strive for a balance between urban development and preservation of humanity.

I aimed to convey the author’s nostalgia for the olden days of Hong Kong, but at the same time acceptance of its rapid development. I divided my illustration into two halves: modern Central on the left and Central in the past on the right, connected by the author’s amah (caretaker). While cool, bluish tones are utilised in the present Central, warm, yellowish red-toned colours are used in the old Central. The stark contrast in both colours and imagery emphasises the difference between the past and the present.

The author talks to the amah affectionately throughout the poem, despite her not being present in modern days. To accentuate the author’s nostalgia and love for the past, I portrayed the amah smiling warmly while carrying tangerines in saturated lighting, thereby giving a sense of comfort and affection. The amah serves as the connection between the past and the present: while the past disappears because of rapid development in Hong Kong, the author could always remember it fondly, suggesting that the old days still live on in memories and thoughts.

I would like to use this painting to convey the message of cherishing the people in our lives, particularly our family. The grandfather on the left hand side is recalling the time with his late mother and her love for the family. We never know when unexpected events may arise, and if we wait until we lose them to understand their value, it will be too late. We must learn to appreciate our loved ones and spend the limited time we have with them.

The poem captures the scene of Central in Hong Kong in the 70s. Old things mentioned in the poem, such as workers in amah suits carrying things and people riding bicycles to deliver kerosene, are depicted in the artwork. I used watercolour in this painting to create a soft tone and give the scene an aged appearance, thereby expressing a nostalgia for the Hong Kong in the 70s.

In the picture people live in their snail shells, which means that most people in Hong Kong live in small flats. The poem mentions that “the cars gleam silver like fishes”, so I drew a goldfish to symbolise the car. Advertisements for the sale of snail shells hung outside the high-rise buildings represent the residential complexes with small flats are on sale in the city.​​​​​​​

The sunset lies in the background, which expresses hope for tomorrow despite currently living in cramped spaces.

After reading the poem, which paints a lively picture of old Central, I visualised some old buildings like the old post office building and the pawnshop. Signboard art is a distinctive cultural representation in Hong Kong. It was popular in the old days, so I drew a nostalgic scene. I used a sunrise as the background to represent morning and the start of a week. In hustling and bustling Central, people focus on their work and the hubbub of the stock exchange, but they leave behind the stunning sunset, which implies the disappearance of old scenery due to rapid development. The poem also captures the interactions between the speaker and the amah, and the excitement when he anticipates the return of the amah with a load of sweet tangerines.

Whenever I visit vintage streets in Central, I always feel a strong human touch that warms my heart. Therefore, I painted the warm sunshine on the streets to create a warm and cozy vibe.

This poem explores the love of the speaker’s grandfather towards his deceased mother and his longing for a warm and complete family through the depiction of his protection towards the robins.

Zinnia flowers symbolise remembrance whereas carnation flowers represent the mother’s love. Cool colour tone (blue and purple) creates a gloomy but peaceful atmosphere in my artwork, which reflects the grandfather’s grief towards the loss of his mother. His hands, which act like the nest, hug and protect the robins in the heart-shaped nest, revealing his wish for an unbroken family and the reminiscence of the moments with his mother. We should be grateful for what we have in the present and live in the moment. Just like those delicate flowers, their beauty does not last long and that is why we should treasure the time they bloom.

The poem “modern concrete” depicts urbanisation negatively. To show urban development, I used a piece of paper with modern buildings drawn on one side, rolling over the old buildings on the other side. The urban buildings are repetitive in shape, dull and lifeless. I also gave the buildings an unfinished look to suggest that humans can still decorate them however we want, we do not have to stay bland and colourless. On the contrary, the old buildings are colourful and filled with people. The colours bleed into each other, showing that people are all connected to each other despite their differences. I deliberately chose to represent urban development with a piece of curled paper instead of a wave because waves are part of nature which cannot be controlled by humans, but humans can bend a piece of paper as we wish. Without human intervention, the curled paper remains at this state and will not overtake the old buildings. I want to convey a message that we can still save the colourful and lively old buildings we have. We still have a choice for our future development of the city, preferably one where urban development and “colour” can co-exist.

I pictured the narrator’s fond memories of a familiar place in old days. While some people love the present, dynamic Central filled with people on their way to law firms and dental offices, I believe they can’t help but yearn for the old one and feel as though something is missing right now.

The reflection on the building is like filling in the missing piece of a puzzle, as it connects the present Central with the old one. I used warm colours for the reflection, which is like an old photograph. Some parts of it are blurred or fading away since these memories have withered over time. These memories aren’t tangible and can only exist in the reflection of the building, but the memories are still an integral part of the place.

In this painting, we can see that the girl wants to touch the bird’s nest but her grandfather stops her. The poem tells us that her grandfather’s mother had died when he was fourteen and the nest actually reminds him of his mother. It symbolises the presence of his mother who is believed to be watching her descendants quietly in another way.

In this picture, I definitely want to show how much the speaker’s grandpa misses his mother and still remembers the days when they were together. I think that family is absolutely the treasure of my life. Family members give me support as well as encourage me all the time, which inspires me to draw this picture.

My artwork is inspired by Gillian Bickley’s poem “Grandfather”. I have been dependent on my grandfather since I was a child, and he is the closest person to me. My grandfather took me to school every day before going to work. The roads that my grandfather took me through were warm because he always told me stories, guided me to understand the wonders of nature, and taught me to appreciate the beauty of life.

My grandfather also shared with me the important life lessons, such as the importance of respecting others, how to face difficulties bravely, and why I should be grateful. My grandfather’s words were deeply imprinted on my mind, and they have become my motto.

My grandfather has passed away, but the memories he left will never be forgotten.

The poem written by Kate Rogers aims to inspire readers and promote positive values, such as open-mindedness, compassion, inquisitiveness, diligence and courage. I have used the “sky blue” colour as the base colour to express the out-of-sight feeling of the speaker. The “Exit” door under the banyan tree in my artwork is for the people to understand the beginning and the ending of her journey. The banyan trees symbolise the speaker’s love for nature and reflects her steady mind while walking under the tree. Everything around her carries a meaning which I have drawn carefully in this piece of art. The traffic lights, stinky rubbish, fallen leaves show a path of discovery for the speaker.

Even though the speaker has a language barrier, she didn’t give up. This poem suggests that human beings can still communicate with each other without the use of any language.

Living in a concrete city that contains “a few million snails”, sometimes I felt that life is too suffocating and stressful. Therefore, I decided to submit a landscape photograph that represents the most iconic urban living environment of Hong Kong – the “Monster Building”. The “Monster Building” is a group of five connected buildings on King’s Road, Quarry Bay. With a staggering total of ten thousand residents, it is one of the most cramped living areas in Hong Kong, which gives anyone looking at the compact flats an intense feeling. In view of this intense feeling, I used a monotonous colour scheme for the overall appearance. Yet, I coloured the sky blue and added a plane to create a strong contrast with the “Monster Building”, and most importantly, to symbolise the hope, quest for freedom and vivid imagination in this city. Through this artistic exploration, I hope to inspire a dialogue on the role of colours in urban environments and the potential for creative transformation within seemingly sterile landscapes.

This artwork stirs emotional depths and conveys hope. Gentle watercolours reflect the grandfather’s tender care, while the robin’s nest with blue eggs and fledglings symbolises life’s continuity and hope against sorrow. Blue hues evoke calmness and introspection.

The grandfather and the girl are depicted in warm yellows, illustrating a moment of tenderness and shared wonder. His hand gesture – subtle yet protective – shows the guidance he provides, while her outstretched hands signify curiosity and new beginning.

A blurred robin in the background contrasts the tangible and intangible, connecting the grandfather’s history to life cycle and our impact on others. The bird’s freedom contrasts the grandfather’s emotional confinement, further highlighting the void left by his mother’s departure.