Remember old Hong Kong? Miniature models capture vanished streets and legends
Two artists pour nostalgia and skill into recreating lost aspects of city’s past
An old-fashioned toy shop, a traditional newspaper stand, a crowded slum once dubbed the “den of sins” – these are scenes long gone in the fast-changing landscape of Hong Kong. But they have been brought back to life, although on a much smaller scale, by a pair of nimble artists with a soft spot for nostalgia.
Tim Ho Kwok-tim and Ian Choi Pik-lung, both in their 50s and full-time engineers, take pride in their shared pastime of building miniature models.
It began when Choi, a collector of old toys and gadgets, bought a cute mini sewing machine in 2006. The little model reminded him of his childhood living in a public housing flat, where the familiar sound of the sewing machine lingered.
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He searched for materials to piece together a model of his childhood home. “The sewing machine started it all,” Choi said.
In 2011, he wanted to join an exhibition and thought of his friend Ho, who was also an enthusiast of vintage objects and who already owned an extensive collection of old toys.
The two quickly partnered up.
“My childhood dream was to be an artist, although I became an engineer to earn a living,” Ho said.
