Slipping away from the deafening roar of pile drivers on Quarry Bay Road, threading through the clanging symphony of trams and the chatter spilled from tea cafes, he vanished into the tranquil greenery of Mount Parker behind the shadowed Yik Cheong Building – that concrete maze dubbed the “Monster Building”. The Swedish Illustrator has long been playing with the temporal-spatial folds of Hong Kong's urban landscape.

On the mountainside, the breeze riffled through Andreas von Buddenbrock’s sketch diary, unfurling ink trails of his daily life and memories.

Victoria Harbour

When Andreas first arrived in Hong Kong 14 years ago, like all newcomers, he was captivated by the neon-drenched horizons of Tsim Sha Tsui and Kowloon City. Yet as history unfolded, when those neon lights dissolved into phantom glows of memory, he turned and uncovered the city’s deeper and timeless allure: nature and wilderness.

“Nothing is completely permanent. No one is really immune or impervious to time.” Says Andreas. And he finds it interesting to discover and record those old structures that have long since been handed over to nature. In his drawings, there is a ruin of crumbled walls in So Lo Pun, the village risen and abandoned since Ming dynasty; a screw pine tied to ropes in Kat O, the tranquil isle cradled in calm ocean; a lone beacon standing vigil at Yau Tong, the densest urban residential area in Hong Kong; and a forgotten quarry in Lei Yue Mun, the bygone excavation now reborn as seafood paradise. 

Standing before these timeworn structures, Andreas finds profound delight in contemplating the past and present of these existences. He says, when his gaze meets the weathered facades, he feels a sheer sense of mystery and adventure. 

So Lo Pun

“Remember that things will eventually change.” Bulldozers flattened the Kowloon Walled City, the sea swallowed the Jumbo Shrimp Floating Restaurant, and jet trails vanished forever from Kai Tak’s sky. All things fade, and choosing ink drawing as a lifelong pursuit seems to be a timeless embrace, for black and white encompass the essence of all colours. Ink drawing was the medium Andreas chose and cherished during his art school days. He likes the stark contrasts born from monochrome, and the profound sense of permanence it embodies – a quality that transcends other mediums.

In 2024, Andreas published The Ink Trail: Hong Kong — a visual chronicle tracing his footsteps through every dimension of the city, from iconic landmarks to forgotten corners where urbanity dissolves into wilderness. This year, Andreas aims to work on a second book featuring ink drawings from across Asia, including unreleased Hong Kong works alongside new pieces from the Philippines, Thailand, Japan, and Cambodia. He says about the publication, optimistically, a late 2025 release is possible; realistically, 2026 seems more likely.

Credits:http://www.andreasvonbuddenbrock.com/

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