Capturing Hong Kong's heritage

When he's not busy in his job as a Senior Security Guard with Taikoo Shing (Management) Limited, Simon Chow Chung Man likes to pursue his passion for sketching and capturing the treasures of Hong Kong's unique urban landscape.

Simon has long had an interest in art and began learning Chinese painting in his teens, but his hobby fell by the wayside once he started work. After forging a career in the garment industry, he switched to working as a security guard with Swire Properties in middle age, helped by receiving an Outstanding Award for Trainees from the Employees Retraining Board.

The change in career path gave him more freedom to pick up his hobby again, and Simon now likes to draw on location around Hong Kong with a host of like-minded friends. His main interest is in sketching urban landscapes and architecture with a focus on urban conservation, believing that artists have a duty to reflect our heritage by recording fast-fading scenes before they disappear.

Simon’s artistic inspiration often comes from his surroundings – Swire Properties’ Tong Chong Street Market and the Swire “Believe in Hong Kong” exhibition are some of his recent subjects.

One such project was the Kung Wo Bean Curd Factory. The final moments of this Hong Kong institution were captured by the urban sketchers before its closure last year, with an exhibition of their work held next to the shop.

Simon has also sketched at Swire Properties’ community events, including the White Christmas Street Fair. He normally travels abroad twice a year on sketching tours, but the pandemic has left his travel plans on hold; he yearns to return to Kyoto to draw its magnificent temples.