Sham Shui Po creatives fostering community and resilience through art

"SSP is always changing like the rest of Hong Kong," shares Patricia Choi, founder of Wontonmeen, a hostel and creative hub on Lai Chi Kok Road, one of the instrumental institutions that helped bring in artists and musicians in the area. "15 years ago, the neighbourhood was like a jewel waiting to be discovered and was only known by people in the fashion and garment industry," she adds. "We set up one of the first Italian roast cafes in the 'hood, Urban Coffee Roaster (now replaced by Runners' Foods), to complement the hostel. Now there are so many cafes opening every month!"  

Patricia was an interior designer, and for a decade, was working on corporate interiors and branding before she inherited the building from her grandfather, the place where Wontonmeen now stands. "Wontonmeen has allowed me to find my roots as my grandfather had his first tailor shop in Sham Shui Po too," she shares. "The more I find out about the stories, the more I want to keep searching, it never stopped fascinating me as the neighbourhood has such a long history and so many people have started here." Patricia named the building Wontonmeen, which means 'wonton noodles' in Cantonese, a well-loved iconic Hong Kong staple and something that she thinks represents her love for the city. She renovated the building and leased around 20 flats for more permanent residents, and created a dormitory type hostel frequented by touring artists and tourists visiting the creative side of SSP.

Wontonmeen’s receiving area

Downstairs, a public area that looks like a historical archive displaying old artefacts and knick-knacks she found all over the district resides, along with a coffee shop by the entrance which is now managed by Runners' Foods. Wontonmeen hostel captured the raw side of Hong Kong and brought a vibrant community of creatives to Sham Shui Po and in a sense, has influenced the start of transformation in the neighbourhood. 

Runners' Foods

Since the pandemic restricted travellers, the dormitory was temporarily turned into a studio which allows musicians to record and film videos, activate online gigs, and workshops. "We have closed the hostel dormitory for safety, and also [because] basically there are no travellers," she explains. "We took the time to record different music videos with our musician friends and periodically publish them on our social media. After that, we were approached by different groups to do online gigs or workshops, filming etc." 

Wontonmeen

"Sham Shui Po has always held a special and iconic place in my heart," shares British-Chinese fashion designer and Phvlo (a fashion design platform promoting sustainability through upcycling) founder Johanna Ho. "It is one of the poorest areas in HK, yet the energy and vibrancy of its community are also what makes it a unique part of the city that you simply cannot find elsewhere," she adds. 

Johanna Ho

"In a way, Sham Shui Po kind of chose us," explains Johanna. "I was just really going to put up a tiny studio, like more on design and sustainability, but then one thing led to another, Hatch (a local NGO dedicated to training underprivileged women and youth from the local community) called us up and introduced us to the owner of the building," she adds. Then Phvlo Hatch was born, a three-level renovated old textile shop housing a sustainable coffee shop on the ground floor called Colour Brown, and an upstairs space dedicated to an exhibition, atelier, and workshop area for Phvlo and Hatch. The upstairs' creative space holds regular exhibits, workshops, events, and is frequented by creative minds interested in fashion, film, music, as well as art and design.

Phvlo Hatch's workstation

They opened in June 2019 during the start of the protests in the city, and it proved very challenging, but they were able to weather the storm and are still managing the challenges of the pandemic. "The pandemic has stalled many of our initial plans, especially our physical events and workshops," Johanna explains. "Some of them have moved online, like our education and mentorship programmes, but nonetheless, it has not deterred us from moving forward, in fact it has given us more of a boost in what we have always been striving for – a change in how we want to live our lives and, our beliefs, not only in sustainability but to slow down, reset our values and rebuild the world around us," she adds. 

Phvlo’s exhibition space

“In terms of education, we choose to do things that are a bit more on the taboo subject." Their exhibition and workshops aim to be a platform to create dialogue and break through barriers. Last September they collaborated with Happeriod, another Hong Kong-based NGO founded in 2014 by Zoe Chan with a mission to destigmatise menstruation through education, awareness workshops and alternative products that promote body autonomy. Together with Phvlo they held workshops tackling eco-friendly feminine products and an exhibition that features art installations that poke fun at menstrual taboos, and aim to confront and subvert stigma around menstruation. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, Phvlo collaborated with NuDD (Nude, Drink & Draw) for a seven-hour life drawing marathon featuring live nude models posing for artists. The event also held an exhibition of the artists’ works and an educational session about the experience with the artists and models.  

Happeriod's pop-up and exhibition at Pvhlo Hatch

Phvlo x NuDD – seven-hour life drawing marathon

"In Sham Shui Po, there have been talks of urban renewal, and many niche cafes, small restaurants and shops have since opened, yet for those of us who are born and raised in HK and the neighbourhood of Sham Shui Po, we feel protective over its historical backgrounds," says Johanna. "We believe that urbanisation and modernisation do not need to wipe out the old, we need to teach the next generations to embrace history and traditions, as without them, we are not what we are now," she ends. 

Follow Wontonmeen and Phvlo Hatch on Facebook to get updates on events and other current activities.