In his studio, where he receives subsidized rent from the government-backed Hong Kong Arts Development Council, tools cover the walls, and are scattered across worktop tables, while the remnants of broken tubes litter the floor. He shows CNN a neon sign taller than him, with intricately bent neon depicting a phoenix and a dragon — symbols common as a backdrop for Chinese wedding photos — which he says took him a month to make.
He also uses neon to create sculptures and is planning for an upcoming exhibition. And he’s working to open a store that will sell neon objects suitable for Hong Kong’s notoriously cramped apartments. He shows CNN a small sculptural neon lightning bolt mounted on a base. “I want to reach a different kind of consumer,” says Lau.
Kwok sees similar trends among Hong Kong’s handful of neon makers. “The whole industry has shifted to more art-related projects, or small-scale projects for interior decoration,” he says.
Lau wants to encourage more people into the art form and late last year, he launched a three-month internship program to teach other young people the craft.
His initial batch of eight apprentices included students and professionals working in fields ranging from technology to art repair. He plans to run a second internship program later this year.
“Some people say to me, ‘don’t create competition for yourself,’” Lau says. “But we have to make the community bigger for the future.”
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