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Following the opening of Woaw Gallery in Singapore, founder Kevin Poon talks about the importance of access to art, and why the relationship between the Lion City and Hong Kong should be complementary rather than competitive
You can say that Hong Kong‑based entrepreneur Kevin Poon is one of the original multi‑hyphenates, before being one was really even a thing. After interning at Interscope Records in California in the early 2000s, Poon returned to Hong Kong, where he would go on to build an empire as the co‑founder of streetwear label Clot, streetwear retailer Juice, distributor District, and the founder of Woaw Gallery.
“I think art has always been in the system of what I do. Early on, we were hanging out with Futura, Stash, José Parlá, Kaws … people who were in the mix doing cool stuff,” says Poon. “And as our culture started growing up, a lot of these artists were being celebrated in fine art spaces. That’s when we transitioned into becoming more serious about art.”
In 2019, Poon opened the first Woaw Gallery on Sun Street in Hong Kong’s cultural pocket of Wan Chai. Teaming up with New York‑based Ross + Kramer Gallery and Miami‑based Bill Brady Gallery, Woaw opened with an exclusive series of paintings by Japanese artist Koichi Sato. “At first, it was a creative outlet; I wanted to have a space that could be multifunctional,” says Poon. “But when [the exhibition] did well, it gave me the confidence to do more. I recognised that there were a lot of people looking at this similar emerging space, but no one was really doing it.”
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Pre‑pandemic, Poon was always on the road with the global art and fashion circuit: Paris Fashion Week, Frieze Los Angeles and, of course, Art Basel in Hong Kong, Basel and Miami. “I was in this constant loop of travelling,” he shares, “but when I wasn’t able to, I had to figure out what to do with all this time that I had.”
He continued to host successful exhibitions at Woaw, some of them virtually via Zoom, showcasing the works of young, contemporary artists such as Cristina BanBan, Charlie Roberts and Sam Friedman, to name a few, adding a splash of colour to what were some very bleak times.
“Art is supposed to make people happy and it’s reflective of our times. I think it’s important for young people to have access to art, to really look at what’s going on in our culture,” says Poon. “Having access to museums and galleries helps enrich the mind. And I think nurturing creativity is more important now than ever.”
In April 2021, Woaw Gallery opened its second Hong Kong outpost on Queen’s Road Central. “One thing led to another, and one of our collectors had a space in Beijing, so they asked us to open Woaw Gallery there,” recalls Poon, who opened the gallery in Beijing in March last year. “It all happened very organically.”
And in January this year, during Singapore Art Week, Poon opened Woaw Gallery’s fourth location on Ann Siang Hill in Singapore. “I love these old shophouses,” says Poon. “And luckily, it’s a corner unit, with a façade on the side where we can potentially do public art installations in future.”
Spilling onto the street, guests at the opening party were served caviar by Nomad Caviar and cocktails by its neighbour, Junior the Pocket Bar. It was a quintessential scene of modern Singapore—rows of charming heritage shophouses, now occupied by a new generation of creative talent.
Poon even tapped on local duo Earn Chen and Nicolette Yip of fashion label The Salvages to host the gallery opening’s after‑party, which was held at the kitsch and historic Hawaii Cabaret & Nite Club. Housed within Textile Centre on Jalan Sultan, it is Singapore’s oldest nightclub.
Woaw Gallery Singapore opened with a group exhibition curated by Poon, featuring art by the likes of Australia‑born, France‑based artist Jordy Kerwick, the whimsical works of Hungarian painter Szabolcs Bozó and the captivating cartoon‑like illustrations of Brooklyn‑based South Korean artist Stickymonger.
Poon named the exhibition As Friends & Partners. “The name holds so many different levels of meaning for me,” he says. “I googled [the history] of Hong Kong and Singapore, and for a long time, the cities were titled friends and partners. We don’t want to come to Singapore being like, ‘Hey, we’re here and we’re from Hong Kong.’ We want to be friends and partners.”
It’s a kind of antidote to the more common narrative of Hong Kong and Singapore being pitted against each other—and at no time was this regional rivalry more potent than during the pandemic. But Poon hopes that through art, as well as future collaborations with local businesses and creators, Woaw Gallery can facilitate in bridging the gap.
“A lot of people are competitive in the art space, but I don’t think that way. I think it’s more complementary than anything. There’s room for both cities to thrive, to win,” he says. “If the art scene in Singapore is thriving, that means more transactions will happen in Hong Kong, and vice versa.”
He adds: “I’m an optimist, so I always look at the positive side of things.”
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Coco Marett is a writer and editor who grew up between Hong Kong and Melbourne. She currently heads the travel section for Tatler Asia, and manages the Tatler Travel account on Instagram. She is known for her features on unique, under-the-radar properties and destinations. She's also known for her in-depth interviews that paint a refreshingly candid portrait of influential figures across various industries —from artists to political figures, CEOs to celebrity chefs. Follow her on Instagram @cocomarett
