King of Kowloon: The Art of Tsang Tsou-choi

'A cultural icon who covered the streets of Hong Kong with his graffiti for over 35 years, Tsang Tsou Choi (1921-2007) used a brush and ink to proclaim himself The King of Kowloon—the heir to an imaginary birthright that fueled a lifetime of artistic output. With his signature style, Tsang wrote himself into the collective memory of a generation caught between British and Chinese rule. He left behind an oeuvre that includes countless outdoor projects (the majority now extant only in photographs), myriad works on paper, board and cloth, as well as painted objects. In 1997, Tsang’s inclusion in the celebrated traveling exhibition Cities on the Move gave him international exposure within the art world, visibility reinforced by his inclusion in the 2003 Venice Biennale.

This milestone publication documents Tsang’s influential practice and enduring legacy, revealing an urban artist, consummate outsider and self-styled emperor whose story is much broader than the island he called home.

With over 100 reproductions, a forward by Hans-Ulrich Obrist, critical essays by Hou Hanru, Ou Ning and others, interviews and an annotated timeline of the artist’s life, The King of Kowloon is the first comprehensive survey of Tsang’s complex and fascinating artistic output.' - from the publisher

Includes a lexicon of key terms that recur through the artist's work, newly translated archival materials, an extensive bibliography (compiled by Phoebe Wong), biographical timeline and exhibition history.

Access level

Onsite

artist

TSANG Tsou Choi / King of Kowloon, 曾灶財

publisher

Damiani (Bologna, Italy)

editor

David SPALDING, 丁達韋

Location code

MON.TTC

Language

Chinese - Traditional,

English

Keyword

calligraphy, graffiti

Publication/Creation date

2013

No of pages

245

ISBN / ISSN

9788862082716

No of copies

Content type

artist monograph

Chapter headings

Foreword: A Protest Against Forgetting - Hans Ulrich OBRIST

Introduction and Acknowledgments - David SPALDING, 丁達韋

Decoding the Work of Tsang Tsou-choi

Framing the Margins: In Search of Contexts for Tsang Tsou-choi - David CLARKE, 祈大衛

How to Remember Tsang Tsou-choi? - HOU Hanru, 侯瀚如

A Hong Kong History of Madness - OU Ning, 歐寧

Collections

King of Kowloon: The Art of Tsang Tsou-choi, 九龍皇帝: 曾灶財的藝術