The 13th iteration of the Affordable Art Fair kicked off yesterday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, offering patrons the opportunity to purchase artworks by contemporary artists for as low as HK$1,000. 

Scheduled to run until Sunday, the four-day event displays over 1,000 original art pieces across 106 local and international exhibiting galleries and four exhibitions. This marks an increase over last year’s 98 exhibitors, giving visitors an even better chance of embracing this year’s theme of “See Art. Love Art. Own Art.” 

One of the exhibitions includes the fair’s first photography-specific section, Pieces of Hong Kong, which seeks to capture the visual identity of the city through the photos of six SAR-based photographers. 

Speaking to local broadcaster TVB, photographer Derry Ainsworth said he wanted to present a Hong Kong that differed from the big city and financial hub image that people normally associate with the territory. 

“I want to showcase these sorts of neighbourhoods, intimate scenes to show that it’s a very vibrant community beneath the city and there’s lots of places to take nice pictures other than just skyscrapers,” he said. 

Another notable exhibition area is Young Talent: No-Rise?, which features the works of five up-and-coming Hong Kong artists. 

Among the creatives is Manny Yip, who uses wooden panel paintings to capture memories of Shek Lei Hang Village – her childhood home, which is at risk of being demolished to make room for redevelopment. 

“I tried to paint when I walked around the village,” Yip told TVB. The artist mentioned that the village’s animals, houses and families served as the subject matter of her paintings, which make use of wood collected on site. 

Five special projects are also being exhibited at the fair, including Ever Near – the second solo art exhibition of Hong Kong singer and actress Stephy Tang. 

During a media interview, Tang noted that the various paintings took anywhere from one day to half a month to complete, with the largest piece – featuring an image of the Buddha – taking the longest, as it required the use of multiple techniques, as well as careful consideration. 

“I hope that when people look at it, it will give them a sense of tranquility,” she said. 

Apart from the galleries and exhibitions, the fair offers visitors a range of workshops where they can try their hands on different art forms such as gelli printmaking, etching and intaglio printing, as well as Chinese painting. 

For a detailed rundown of the schedule and opening hours of the fair, click here. Regular admission costs HK$190, while concession tickets are priced at HK$160. Purchase tickets by accessing this page.

First established in London in 1999, the Affordable Art Fair is now held across more than a dozen major cities around the world, including New York, Sydney, Singapore and Amsterdam.