Hong Kong artistโ€™s 500 illustrations of toast cover cafeโ€™s entire wall


Toast can be made in many ways, as we discovered after visiting Ztoryhome, a cafe in Sai Ying Pun on Hong Kong Island, where a display of 500 illustrations of toast from around the world takes up an entire wall.

Featuring toast from cities including Tokyo, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, New York and Seoul, โ€œ#toast500โ€ โ€“ on now until August 17 โ€“ was created by Kai Tam Ka-yan, a Hong Kong-born Gen Z artist who also goes by Nomkakaii.

The exhibition is the 22-year-oldโ€™s first showcase since her return to Hong Kong from the US, where she earned a bachelorโ€™s degree from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

โ€œI tell everyone I see toast as a canvas, because the person who makes it is going to make it differently. Itโ€™s the same as drawing,โ€ she says.

The project is the result of a two-and-a-half-year journey that began in the US. โ€œI want to bring it back home, find my community, and share with people here who I am.โ€

An entire wall inside Ztoryhome is lined with Nomkakaiiโ€™s work. Photo: Nancy Wang
An entire wall inside Ztoryhome is lined with Nomkakaiiโ€™s work. Photo: Nancy Wang

Tamโ€™s passion for art stems from childhood. As an introvert, she discovered that brushes and colours could help her express her emotions.

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