Walking and art making: Discovering everyday aesthetics in urban surroundings

This report examines the intersection of walking, art-making, and the discovery of everyday aesthetics in urban surroundings. Through a series of methodical walks in both new and familiar urban environments, specifically in Siu Sai Wan, the research explores how engaging with everyday spaces can uncover hidden layers of aesthetic value. The walking practices, enriched by sensory experiences and observant documentation, reveal a natural inclination towards the unnoticed architectural and natural elements, rather than the human activities within these spaces.

Art-making, informed by these walks, serves as a medium to reinterpret and express these findings, leading to the creation of a series of acrylic paintings. The artwork adopts a defamiliarizing approach, drawing on themes of time, weather, and mood to translate the ordinary into the extraordinary. This process demonstrates the potential of walking and art-making to transform routine urban experiences into profound aesthetic and emotional engagements, prompting a deeper appreciation for the nuances of our daily surroundings.