rkkwan

Some of you who've visited Hong Kong may have seen the work of the King. He died about 10 days ago, at age 86.

For those who're not familiar with the King, you can do a google search, or here's a nice video about him and his work:

stage6.divx.com/user/cityben/video/1220457/King-Of-Kowloon

Here's a recent article, with photos:

http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/...ng-of-kowloon/

He'll be missed.

rkkwan

No one here knows about the King and his works?

Anyways, one of his remaining works still exist at the Kowloon Star Ferry. May be your last chance to view it.

mrwunrfl

Interesting that his eccentricity inspired other people's art.

kaneda

Just another vandal. Good riddance!

mrwunrfl

Wonder what will be said about you, kaneda, when the time comes.

wintersp

Do you know if anyone ever made photos, particularly a book of pictures, of his 'creations'?? or maybe a website?

rkkwan

wintersp - You can do a google search for "Tsang Tsou Choi". Should give you plenty of web pages about him.

And this is the wikipedia entry, with some pictures and other links:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsang_Tsou_Choi

wintersp

Thank you, rkkwan.

easytraveler

rkkwan: thanks for posting!

I've seen his art but didn't know it's significance - just walked right on by!

rkkwan

Personally, I don't think his stuff has much artistic significance. But I find it pretty funny to see this stuff all over Kowloon back in the 70's and 80's when I was growing up in the area.

He's clearly a eccentric character, and in a modern city that has less and less tolerance for those who are different or weird, it's great for everybody to remember a somewhat simpler time in the past.

kaneda

mrwunrfl aka Mr Wonderful. So you support mindless vandalism then?

hawaiiantraveler

mindless hmmmmm..... interesting concept and statement.

hmmmmmm, mindless does seem to fit the last comment!

R.I.P. King!

KimJapan

I was brought up to not speak ill of the dead...it's bad manners.

kaneda

The dead are dead. It does not change the good deeds or bad deeds they did in life.

So, you would not speak ill of Hitler?

easytraveler

Well, he THOUGHT all of Kowloon belonged to his family.

If you paint on your own property, is that vandalism or is that art?

yk

I've always thought he was a mentally ill person. The photos definitely bring back childhood memories.

Another old era of Hong Kong is now over.

rkkwan

Well, he DID think of Kowloon to be his "kingdom". He never wrote on Hong Kong Island or in the New Territories, I believe. Only around Kowloon.

mrwunrfl

I agree, KimJapan, particularly when someone has expressed sorrow.

I agree, ht, perhaps it is "meaningful vandalism" at it's worst. Meaningful to some posters here, and to thousands of others. Certainly meaningful, if not art, to the person who paid US$7.050 at the Sotheby's auction.