HONG KONG — Michael Lau, the pioneering Hong Kong artist who helped define the global designer toy movement, is bringing his signature blend of street culture and whimsical characters back to the city with a new exhibition opening this August.
Presented in collaboration with streetwear brand Carhartt WIP, Flowers, Flowers Everywhere! runs from Aug. 13 to 23, 2026, at the brand’s flagship store at 13 Pak Sha Road in Causeway Bay. The exhibition features Lau’s latest body of work: a series of paintings and sculptures that transform flowers into expressive, human-like characters, exploring themes of emotion, identity and connection drawn from the artist’s pandemic-era experiences.
From Gardener to Garden
Lau first captured international attention in the late 1990s with his Gardener series, a collection of stylized figures inspired by himself, his friends and Hong Kong’s street fashion scene. Those characters became foundational to the designer toy movement, blurring the lines between fine art, commercial design and collectible culture.
Flowers, Flowers Everywhere! represents the next chapter in that ongoing narrative. Instead of human figures, Lau now populates his fictional world with blooms that possess oversized eyes and distinct personalities. Each flower appears curious, joyful, uncertain or romantic — reflecting what Lau calls “small portraits of human experience.”
“The flowers are not just decorative,” Lau has said of the series. “They become characters with emotions, relationships and attitudes.”
The series developed during the pandemic, when Lau spent more time at home and became increasingly drawn to the flowers around him. At a time of restriction and uncertainty, the blooms offered a source of color and optimism. That origin gives the work an unexpected emotional depth beneath its cheerful surface.
A Natural Collaboration
The decision to stage the exhibition at the Carhartt WIP flagship rather than a traditional gallery is deliberate. Lau’s work has always existed at the intersection of art and street culture, and Carhartt WIP — known for its roots in workwear, skateboarding and youth culture — provides a fitting context.
“This is not a museum show,” said a representative of the brand. “It’s a meeting of two complementary cultures that have long shared overlapping creative territory.”
The partnership also includes a Hong Kong-exclusive capsule collection, extending the exhibition beyond paintings and sculptures into fashion and collectibles. For Lau, the object has always mattered — his career helped collapse the distinction between artwork, toy, fashion item and collectible.
What to Expect
The exhibition is compact; visitors can take in the full display in 30 to 60 minutes, though collectors and longtime fans may linger longer over the cultural references woven into each piece. Lau frequently incorporates elements from fashion, toys, sports, advertising, music and street culture, rewarding close looking.
Key highlights include:
- Paintings of flowers with oversized eyes and expressive faces
- Sculptures that continue Lau’s exploration of character and personality
- The exclusive Carhartt WIP capsule collection available only in Hong Kong
With only an 11-day run, the exhibition has a limited-edition, pop-up character that mirrors the collectible nature of Lau’s broader practice.
Why It Matters
Lau’s influence extends far beyond the works on display. When the Gardener figures debuted in the late 1990s, they helped establish that collectible figures could occupy a legitimate space between art, design and popular culture. That idea has since become a defining feature of contemporary creative culture.
Flowers, Flowers Everywhere! continues the same philosophy in a new form. The flowers function simultaneously as paintings, characters, cultural references and potential collectibles. They can be appreciated for their visual appeal, read as emotional portraits or understood within the broader history of Hong Kong’s street and designer-toy culture.
For visitors interested in contemporary Hong Kong art, streetwear or designer toys, the exhibition offers a concise introduction to the visual language Lau has developed over more than two decades. More than anything, it demonstrates how a creative idea can evolve without losing its original character.
“The Gardener figures introduced a world of personalities,” Lau has noted. “The flowers are another generation of characters within that world. They may be flowers, but in my universe they are also people, personalities and reflections of the city and culture around us.”
Flowers, Flowers Everywhere! runs Aug. 13–23, 2026, at Carhartt WIP flagship, 13 Pak Sha Road, Causeway Bay. Admission is free.