Hey guys,
At the time of writing, I recently went to an annual art book exhibition at Hong Kong’s Tai Kwun — for the second time! As both an art and book lover, exhibitions like this are a great way to see and get inspired by what other artists are doing, both locally and internationally.
Despite what the name of the event may suggest, it doesn’t only showcase art books, but also zines, art magazines, publications, printing samples, and even merch! And I must say, the amount of vendors attending was even more than last year!
On the whole, the art book fair is a place for creatives and art enthusiasts to network, buy some cool merch, and learn stuff from other creatives. As such, I highly recommend people go check out the art book fair when it comes around next year (especially if you’re in HK)!
One thing I have observed is how vendors are typically split into a few categories — (in my opinion) they are:
The actual artist: They sell their zines, merch and/or publications directly to sellers and visitors. Talking to artists is a fantastic opportunity to get to know the behind-the-scenes of making their pieces and what (if any) manufacturer they use. You may even get a signed copy of their prints!
Art groups, institutions or galleries selling zines or prints on behalf of artists: This can include both local artists, but also international ones as well who cannot attend for whatever reason. While you can’t talk to the artist, you can still get exposed to artists you may not know or be aware of, and be able to network with local galleries or art groups and see if there are any events you may be interested in.
Local or international print shops selling papers or print samples: If you’re someone looking to create art prints or find the right manufacturer to print your zine, then talking to these print shops is a must. Most of them will also provide paper samples with varying thicknesses (usually in gsm) and lamination (gloss, satin, to name a few) that you can touch to get a better idea of how they feel.
Art magazines: I’ve noticed art magazines tend to be printed using high-quality printers (when compared to zines). They are also bigger, and more experimental and niche (comparatively to their non-art magazine counterparts — think Vogue and Elle), with fewer advertisements as well. Art magazines also tend to be more expensive than commercial magazines from what I’ve seen.
I managed to snag three zines from the fair, and I even got a signed copy from one of the artists directly (thank you and a huge shout-out to Kaitlin Chan!) Honestly, if I wasn’t on a budget, I could have bought way more books.
Pro tip for anyone thinking about attending next year: make sure to buy your tickets in advance online. While it is possible to buy tickets in person, it is on a first-come first served basis, and you’ll likely be waiting in a long line in the outdoor area before being let in (for crowd control purposes). And I can tell you, standing outside in the Hong Kong summer for any length of time is not a pleasant experience. 😅
🎨 Artist Recap
I just can’t resist another art challenge! I’ve also wanted to complete Drawtober — a popular October art challenge (there are so many of them!) featuring 6 Halloween prompts over 31 days! 🎃
This year, the prompts are focused on all the classic ghouls! Think witches, ghosts, monsters and more! For the 1st of October, it’s all about vampires, so here’s Reiri Kamura from Princess Resurrection — one of my favourite mangas when I was a kid!
I’ll be primarily posting my pieces on Instagram, so be sure to keep a look out!
Come check my Instagram and Twitter for more updates! And if you want to support me and all my endeavours, consider buying from my shop or donating to my Ko-fi as well!