Hong Kong’s got layers. Sure, you might know it as Asia’s financial powerhouse, a place of unrest, or maybe you remember when it was pumping out more toys than anywhere else in the world back in the ’70s. Then there’s that golden era of Hong Kong cinema that gave us Wong Kar-Wai’s moody masterpieces and Jackie Chan’s gravity-defying stunts among other legends.
These days, when you talk about Hong Kong’s creative scene, you might hear names like Michael Lau, or Kasing Lung and his Labubu character. But that’s usually where the conversation stops. The global spotlight hasn’t quite caught up with what’s brewing in the city’s contemporary creative underground.
But one thing’s for sure, the next generation of artists in Hong Kong aren’t waiting around for that global cosign. They’re too busy building something of their own. Brothers and mix-medium artists Andrew and Tate Mok, who both go under the moniker “Offgod,” are prime examples of this. Whether they’re dropping illustrations, scaling up to massive sculptures, or diving into animation, these two move with the kind of creative freedom that makes everything feel possible.
Along the way, they’ve caught the attention of heavy hitters like Pharrell Williams, Takashi Murakami, and Verdy, but that’s not what makes their story interesting. What’s admirable is how they’re using their come-up to pull others up with them. This is best seen through their collaborative events, guest presentations at schools, and their constant and brazen affection for camaraderie.
At just 20 and 22, Andrew and Tate are flipping the script on how success usually plays out in Hong Kong. We’re typically used to seeing the limelight being hoarded by a handful of individuals not long after they break out, but these guys are all about sharing the spotlight with their crew—it’s strength in numbers, which brings a sense of hope and a platform for Hong Kong’s future in the arts.
To help discuss the notion of “collaboration over competition” with the brothers, we invited creative producer, DJ, and long-time friend, Jerry Haha. Together, they break down everything from their creative processes to why keeping your circle tight—but not exclusive—might be the key to pushing Hong Kong’s creative scene forward.
Jerry: What’s the creative landscape you want to build and be part of in Hong Kong?
Andrew: Right now, we’re trying to build more of a community and have people be very supportive of each other. To lift each other up as creatives, or support new and emerging creatives. It is something that we’ve always wanted to see, and it also includes ourselves. Individually and collectively, we want to keep improving and keep evolving into greater things.
Tate: Creating spaces with good energy, ’cause the community here is really strong.
J: You guys are pretty young. Growing up here, how do you feel about the creative scene in Hong Kong?
A: When I first started drawing, which was mostly on social media, the creative scene that I knew then wasn’t like the one I know now. Mainly ’cause I was doing a lot of it online and didn’t go to events at all. I was just drawing behind my computer or iPad.
But as I grew up, I started going to more events—started showing more of our art pieces in real life, and that was when I realized that the creative scene here is much more supportive than I had thought.
Also, there are a lot of mutual connections here. If you know one person, you’ll know another by association. I feel like it really doesn’t take much for people to connect in Hong Kong.
T: It’s very different for me transitioning back here because I wasn’t here the first year we started working together and showing our pieces. So showing up to events and actually meeting people is a different feeling from what I was used to. It’s very encouraging. It’s part of the reason why we’re on this path now.
It’s great to see people truly support others’ work. They really want to see everyone grow.
J: Despite all the responses and accolades you’ve both gotten, what keeps you grounded in your work, especially in the way you open up to your audience?
A: I think we always just go back to the core of why we do things. And I think it’s always good to remember that the reason why we make art and sculptures and go all these places to show our work is because we wanted to do it in the first place and not because of others’ expectations.
We’re always trying to push the boundaries of art and sculpture and try to do different things in Hong Kong. So we also try to build confidence in our own work, no matter what other people say, because I think that’s one of the most important things in art: to have confidence in yourself.
J: What’s been the most challenging part of your journey so far?
A: I think as we grow as artists, it’s also really important to tap into other fields, like the business side of things. You have to think about different aspects of how work is valued. You don’t want to be lowballed, and you don’t want the industry to take advantage of you.
T: We’re also learning how to sustain things on the business end while balancing things with being creative. You can’t have one impact the other too much. There has to be some sort of separation, so we’re still learning how to navigate through all of that, but honestly, I think it’s been going pretty well.
J: Looking at your creative—and business—processes, how far in advance are you thinking about what you want to do creatively? Or does it come step-by-step?
A: Someone actually came up to us after we did that “Skull Scapyard” garage sale at Soho House, Hong Kong, and told us that the projects that we do seem very spontaneous. But to us, it makes a lot of sense.
What that guy said does add up in terms of how we come up with ideas though, ’cause we don’t really calculate too far ahead. Of course, with certain projects, there’s going to be some lead time, but for many longer-term projects, we don’t think too deeply about it because we know that plans change. Sometimes you get an offer along the way that you’ve never considered and you end up pivoting into some new and better direction..
So for us, we just do what makes sense to us while taking it one step at a time.
T: Make it make sense.
J: So even though things can be spontaneous, do you both have a collective direction?
T: We both want to get into a position where we can sustain doing what we love doing.
J: What role do the Internet and digital culture play in where you find inspiration?
A: I think it’s very important, especially when I was growing up. That’s where I get my influences from: the Western side of the world. In Hong Kong, it’s almost like if you don’t use the internet, you won’t be able to really see other sides of the world. I first started drawing overseas rap artists, which I feel then opened things up for me in terms of global inspiration and references.
I was able to look at what they were wearing, the music they were making, and even the history behind the music. From that, it started growing and I quickly went down a deep rabbit hole of music, art, and fashion. That’s how it still is today. We get a lot of inspiration from Pinterest and Instagram.
T: It also really shortens the distance between you and maybe a person that you never thought you could connect with. Also, using it to make and share work. I think it’s important to share and be transparent. We like posting our process. We post a lot of BTS work and works in progress to show all the sides of how we ended up at a final piece.
It’s also like an online documentation practice for us. The sketches, drawings, the moodboards… just having all that online I think is really cool, but also for people to be inspired by.
J: What’s the reality of becoming recognized artists in Hong Kong and what can you do with that?
A: Being born and raised here, we definitely want to channel our artistry more and have our work shown more around the city.
And a part of it is also representing where we’re born and raised. I feel even though the local art and creative scene is very tight and prominent locally, on a global scale, it’s not that well known.
We want to represent Hong Kong and show people overseas that there are other creative talent here. That’s what social media can be for. It’s for connecting people and that’s what we love to do. We try to connect people that we feel can work well together. There’s no gatekeeping.
T: Transparency has no gatekeeping.
J: Why is it important to you both to work with or collaborate with friends and like-minded creatives?
T: It’s energy. Good energy. It automatically builds trust. We trust their vision, they trust your vision. Like you, Jerry! There’s a rapport between us, and we trust fully in your vision whenever we work together. It’s the best.
A: I just think it feels happier to win as a group of friends, you know? It’s always better to celebrate with people that you know. Wins over wins, right? It’s also very contagious and it definitely motivates each other to work harder and do more crazy things.
J: With a friends-centric project like Skull Scrapyard, how did you approach who you wanted to include, and what were the responses like?
A: I was inspired by the idea of wanting to have a place where you discover new Hong Kong talent, and where you share interests and be in this supportive community. For me, when I was choosing people, I didn’t really think too much about it. I wanted to find friends and artists who represent Hong Kong well while showcasing different types of art.
T: It’s also who we wanted to see together in the same space. It’s cool because we’re combining artists with each other and then you can see the interaction between them and also the guests. It’s an amazing feeling.
J: I know that feeling. back in 2020, I did something similar. It was called VEND. It was right after COVID, and I hadn’t seen my friends in ages. I wanted to create something so we can all gather and just hang out.
It was when I first started my agency, ARTIFICIAL DUST, and was one of my first-ever projects. I essentially had this idea because I wanted to see my friends, but we’d have food and drinks and be at different vendors. We’d all be mic’d up, DJ on the couch, and have panel discussions in between. But you guys are obviously the new generation that’s passing on collective energy.
A: Something like that…and what we did with Skull Scrapyard is definitely a crazy thing to work on. We also didn’t really know what to expect going in. The setup, finding the venue, talking to the artists…
It was a new experience for me, but it was really fun for both of us. While setting up, everything just started to come together. And after the event, while we were dismantling, I remember thinking, “damn! We’re just two people trying to do something silly, trying to make something happen. And we did it!”
Check out more MAEKAN stories below.
A Little Help From My Friends: An Anti-Gatekeeping Discussion with Offgod and offgod:tate
BLURRING THE LINES OF NARRATIVE
“SAAM1 MAN4 ZINE:” OUR TRIBUTE TO HONG KONG SANDWICHES
Rethinking cultural appropriation and ethics in an AI world
Sound and Vision — A Conversation with Film Composer Emile Mosseri
