Meet Fapopo, the self-taught artist who makes it bloom everywhere she goes
In a sea of muse and inspiration, the beloved Sai Kung neighborhood artist Fapopo stays true to her gratitude for flowers.
Fapopo, phonetically transcribed from the Cantonese nickname “Granny Flower”, is well in her eighty’s when her artistic career started. With vibrant colors, flora-filled compositions as her emblematic touch, Fapopo earned herself the title of “Hong Kong Yayoi Kusama”, even though she is a firm believer that each artist should do their own thing.
The artist’s love for flowers is deep-rooted in her childhood: in the tender age of eight, Fapopo had come to realize the striking beauty of flowers she saw on the side of the road. Despite her lack of artistic training at the time, it’s definitely safe to say that a special sentiment towards blooms had already planted in Fapopo’s heart from that point onward.
Decades has passed, and Fapopo found herself retired with spare time to spend on personal interests — a luxury she previously didn’t have access to. Despite it being her first time picking up a paintbrush, Fapopo’s resume as a veteran flower market worker has given her thorough understanding of the form, shape and dynamics of her subject. The ability to capture the likeness of each flower with such effortlessness, coupled with the fact that her works are filled with juvenile whimsy, has won the hearts of many admirers, young and old alike.
To Fapopo, her canvas spreads far beyond its literal sense — with a penchant for unconventional surfaces to draw on, the artist injects her flourishing aesthetics into everyday objects such as children’s toys, homeware and architecture.
Next time you find yourself in Sai Kung, keep an eye out for the magical touch of Fapopo. Who knows, it’s not that difficult to run into one of several thousand pieces of her flower-embellished works after all.
Stay tuned to Fapopo’s Instagram updates here.