Q: How did you come up with your artist name?
Bao is a nickname my family started calling me at a young age because of my face shape. Bao (包) in Chinese means “bread”or “bun” and buns are usually rounded. The name is easy to remember and packs a whole lot of childhood memories so I just went with it!
Q: Which part of Hong Kong did you grow up ?
I went back and forth from New Territories and Kowloon. From primary to middle school I was in Kowloon and finished off high school in New Territories.
Q: How did you get into art and drawing?
I enjoy doodling and drawing when I was young and never stopped until I got a full time job. I’ve always been a creative nut so naturally, my first job was in design. But working under a cooperation with clients that had their own vision, I never really had the creative freedom so I took a big step in quitting my job of 6 years and went on a working holiday where I picked up drawing again. I was in Australia drawing on small canvases on the streets and luckily, earned a small living by selling prints where it supported my expenses there. I spent a few years traveling, drawing and selling sketches in different cities so really, I was a nomad for a while. It was when I was in Italy where I pursued street art. After traveling and making art for quite some time, I came back to Hong Kong expecting to go back to the full time 9-6 lifestyle for financial stability but ended up getting some commissioned jobs so I decided to follow my passion and never looked back.
Q: What inspired your art piece?
Inspired by cats with a style that is both cartoonized and realistic! Hong Kong is unique because of the amount of stray cats there are in the city within each district – as if they are our neighbors. Almost every dried goods store or jade/antique store owns a cat who likes to roam and wonder around but would always make their way back home. I am a cat lover myself and have adopted a few before.
Q: What is the best part about being an artist?
Drawing and painting doesn’t feel like a job or work to me! The best part is being able to do what I love. I am also fortunate enough to meet clients that allows me to express my own creative freedom in works for them.
Q: What are some of your favorite local eats?
My favorite Cha Chan Teng is called Sun Heung Yeun (新香園) in in Sham Shui Po. When my mother was pregnant with me, she had already started eating there so maybe that is why I am so fond of the food there! My favorite would have to be the shredded pork noodle 瘦肉河粉 – not what they are famous for but it definitely is one of my favorites.
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