Culture & Leisure

The 14th Asia Contemporary Art show Spring exhibition was held last weekend at Conrad Hotel in Admiralty. The Asia Contemporary Art Show offers art exhibitions two times per year, in spring and fall. It aims to support exhibitors all around the world, as well as providing a vibrant and diverse art experience for collectors and art buyers. This year, the show opens in a rather "private format" compared to other exhibitions happening. Over 2000 pieces of the most compelling contemporary art are on show, presented by 85 art galleries from over 20 countries of Asia and the rest of the world. The Show included original painting, limited editions, sculpture and photography. The majority of the works of art were from emerging and mid-career artists, with few pieces of those who had achieved recognition at auction and were held in private and public collections before. Prize draw and freebie like postcards were used to attract traffic by the art galleries, including Carré d’artistes, which created a new concept of public accessible painting and sculpture art gallery to break down the grid barriers of fine art.

Take one day off busy work, and enjoy a chance to stroll the art world. The seventh edition of Art Basel Hong Kong launched on this Friday in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. 242 galleries from 35 countries participate in this annual art event, displaying a variety of contemporary art through the diverse mediums, including installation, paintings, sculptures, prints, photography, videos, and digital art.

For student Nie Yu-heng, 20, his obsession with the world of streetwear all started with a simple scroll through Instagram. Famous celebrities like rapper Kanye West and fashion icon Virgil Abloh often appear in his Instagram feed. Baffled by how simple combinations of sneakers, sweatpants and logo tees could look so good, he decided to find out more. Today, Mr. Nie frequently queues up as early as 7am when brands like A Bathing Ape release designs he likes and collects. Streetwear, which started with skateboarders and surfers in the United States, is embraced by locals, with many stores here ranging from big labels like Off-White to entire shopping complexes dedicated to selling streetwear such as Trendy Zone in Mong Kok. Fashion conglomerate I.T that distributes European and Japanese street labels across Asia is also based in Hong Kong. Expensive streetwear fashion has surged in popularity in Hong Kong in recent years, particularly among young people who do not mind paying top dollar because they feel a connection with brands and regard them as an extension of their personality. "When I look at myself in the mirror every morning, I will always look lively in clothes that I like," said Mr. Nie. "It's not about how expensive or how rare my clothing is." Samantha Setokusumo, 18, a freshman at the Savannah College of Art and Design Hong Kong, said that her streetwear collection allows her to showcase herself, regardless of how unique her style may be. "Because my friends and I always like to joke about being 'hobo' or 'failing in life', we made that into a fashion statement," said Ms. Setokusumo. "It's just the freedom to express ourselves through streetwear." However, buying clothes and accessories from renowned streetwear brands is not cheap. Prices are inflated as soon as they hit …