About
My name is Alex Unrein — born and bred in Berlin, Germany — and I first set foot into Hong Kong more than 15 years ago on a layover when I was still working as a flight attendant. No matter which city I visited for work in those days, I always sought out street art to photograph or venues where to swing dance. It wasn’t long before I crossed paths with my future hubby on a Hong Kong dance floor, resulting in a life split between Hong Kong and Germany for a few years, eventually settling in Hong Kong for good in 2017.
Hong Kong has fascinated me from the very beginning. First with its towering monolithic architecture creating these mesmerising night scapes, quickly followed by its enthralling local culture mixed with many Western elements. The myriad of smells, sounds and colours in the street canyons lined by glass, steel and concrete continue to captivate me and keep me exploring the city, capturing its street art along the way.
Inspiration behind the book
When I first started looking for street art in Hong Kong there wasn’t much to see yet but especially in the middle of the 2010s the scene blossomed and there was so much to discover. I went out regularly to capture the art and chat with many artists to hear their stories. At the same time, I also wished there would be a book on Hong Kong’s street art scene that could provide more info. Eventually, I realised that maybe, I could be the one writing it based on all the images and stories that I had collected over the years, resulting in “Colourful Hong Kong - Street Art Stories”.
Favourite thing to do or see in Hong Kong
Aside from searching for and capturing the city’s street art, I love to explore parts of the city that I’m not too familiar with because it feeds my sense of curiosity and adventure. A day of roaming an unknown part of Hong Kong always creates this feeling of being able to get lost in the city without being lost.
Best Place to See Street Art in Hong Kong
The best place to see lots of great street art in a small area is in Tai Ping Shan, especially in the little side streets between Tai Ping Shan Street and Hollywood Road, in Tank Lane and along Square Street. If time allows, there is the option to explore even more street art in the neighbouring Central district.
