Tsang Tsou Choi

Tsang Tsou Choi (zh-tsp |t=曾灶財 |s=曾灶财 |p=Zēng Zàocái), or the "Emperor of Kowloon" (九龍皇帝) (November 12, 1921 – July 15, 2007) was a Hong Kong citizen known for his calligraphy graffiti.

Early years

Tsang was born in Liantang Village, Guangdong Province, China. Traveling to Hong Kong at the age of 16, he was a poor worker and was barely literate. He began to mark the streets of Hong Kong with his distinctive graffiti at the age of 35. He claimed that he had studied his ancestral tree and discovered that most of the land of Kowloon belonged to his ancestors. He said that Kowloon belonged to his grandfather, in particular. There are no records which back up Tsang’s claim. [http://www.colorsmagazine.com/issues/colors65/06.php "Colors Magazine", issue 65] ]

His artwork

He had been arrested for his graffiti a few times, but usually the police just gave him a warning or a small fine. His family disowned him, saying he was mentally unbalanced and a public nuisance [http://www.asiaweek.com/asiaweek/98/0814/feat2.html "Asia Week", August 14, 1998] ] and his wife had grown tired of his obsession and left him.

Although his graffiti was persistently covered by paint, he often returned to re-vandalize sites as soon as the paint dried. At the height of his graffiti career, his obsessive marking of territory made his graffiti an ever present aspect of the streets of Hong Kong. The graffiti has been spotted at many places on the streets of Hong Kong, ranging from lampposts, utilities boxes, pillars, pavements, street furniture, and building walls, to an occasional car. The contents of his calligraphic graffiti usually include his name, his title (Emperor or King of Kowloon, Hong Kong, or China), his family tree – a variable list of about 20 individuals, the names of illustrious emperors, and the exclamation, "Down with the Queen of England!" His complaints about the supposed misappropriation of his land were not always so formulaic, however. He occasionally demanded that the government pay him land taxes. [http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=21&art_id=49834&sid=14647459&con_type=1&d_str=20070726 "The Standard", July 26, 2007] ]

A Hong Kong magazine named him one of the city's ten least influential people. However, his lack of influence does not extend to the art world. His typography has inspired many fashion designers, art directors, interior decorators, and CD cover artists. His style has also informed the work of traditional artists, such as Oscar Ho. [Clarke, David (2000). "The Culture of a Border Within: Hong Kong Art and China." "Art Journal" 59.2: 88-101.] He appeared in a commercial for Swipe cleaner, in which he cleans away his permanent ink graffiti, proclaiming the product's effectiveness to Hong Kong consumers. [zh [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tuVOr1bkuQ 【香港廣告】SWIPE 藍威寶 九龍皇帝 曾灶財 30sec] at YouTube]

During his last years, he lived in a retirement home, and no longer wrote on walls. However, his poor health did not entirely halt his calligraphic efforts. He continued his work on paper, household linens, and other mundane items. He also told visitors that he should have been elected chief executive of Hong Kong, instead of Donald Tsang, that 'impostor.'

He received international recognition for his work. Photographs of his work have toured in shows, such as "Power of the Word," which began its US tour at Grinnell College's Faulconer Gallery on Oct 6, 2000. In 2003, he was included in the Venice Biennale. His first major commercial recognition came when Sotheby’s auctioned a board, painted by Tsang, for HK$55,000 (USD $7,050) on October 31, 2004.

He died on 15th July, 2007 following a heart attack in Hong Kong. He was 86. Art critic Lau Kin-wai said Tsang spent his final days at an elderly home surrounded by family members. He also said that Tsang's last wish was for another exhibition of his work.

After his death

After the news about his death became known, many people went to take pictures of his art works, especially the one in Tsim Sha Tsui's Star Ferry Pier (because of the convenience of the location). [http://hk.news.yahoo.com/070726/12/2cbtd.html (Chinese) Public taking pictures at Tsim Sha Tsui's Star Ferry Pier. Retrieved on August 3, 2007.] Many worried that the government would clean up his remaining public art works, however the Hong Kong authorities promised this would not happen. Additionally, they will analyze ways of how to preserve his works. [http://hk.news.yahoo.com/070726/12/2cca5.html (Chinese) Government promised to leave artwork as it is. Retrieved on August 3, 2007. ]

External links

* [http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2004/11/02/2003209386 An auction of his work by Sotheby's]
* [http://www.hkppa.org.hk/99results/portrait_3.htm A picture of Tsang with his "art work"]
* [http://www.universes-in-universe.de/car/venezia/bien50/zou/e-tsou-choi.htm Pictures and description of Tsang on Universes in Universe - Worlds of Art website]
* [http://www.pbase.com/frankomania/tsang Photos of university students meeting the Kowloon Emperor in 2003]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zZZGTnuFmc An audio slideshow about his life and work]
* [http://www.urbanmessenger.org Hong Kong Graffiti and Street Art. 香港塗鴉與街頭藝術.]
*http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/03/24/the-king-of-kowloon

Notes