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When artist Dominic Johnson-Hill saw a blank wall in his garden, he wanted to add a splash of Hong Kong nature. So in 2024, he teamed up with British bird muralist Rob Aspire to paint a red-billed blue magpie on his wall.
Now, they have painted Hong Kong’s birds on many abandoned village homes and other hidden spots on Lantau Island. Their murals are known as the Flock Project. It has even inspired hikers to go on scavenger hunts looking for the paintings of birds.
“You’re making use of these abandoned buildings ... turning them into something that celebrates local wildlife,” said Johnson-Hill, 54.
“It’s given me an incredible purpose: celebrating all of these birds while exploring and learning about Hong Kong’s wildlife.”
The freedom of birds
Inspired by the 17 years he spent making art in mainland China, Johnson-Hill creates his work in lucky sets of eight. This is why the magpie was just the start.
“I told my wife, ‘I need to do another seven birds to finish the set,’” he explained.
To find his subjects, Johnson-Hill asked a local bird expert Paul Aston to make a list of the region’s most striking species.
According to Johnson-Hill, about 80 bird species are residents of Lantau Island. Hong Kong has more than 580 bird species. The city sits along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, so it welcomes many migratory birds that are passing through.
“[Aston] told me these incredible stories about how most of the birds on Lantau just come and go,” Johnson-Hill said. “Some go to Africa, others to Myanmar and Vietnam. I love the fact that these birds are just so free ... They just move with the weather and the food.”
After finishing the first eight birds, he wanted to create his second series. So he raised about HK$22,000 through crowdfunding and selling T-shirts. The money allowed him to expand his project to other faraway parts of Lantau Island.
Last April, the project went viral when a hiking influencer mapped out a trail connecting the murals. Hikers began coming to Lantau for scavenger hunts, looking for the hidden art.
“Sometimes we’d have over 100 people following the route,” Johnson-Hill said. “It was wonderful because I started meeting all these lovely people.”
His third series is set to be finished in October, and he plans for his fourth series to be on Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and Lamma Island.
Creative advice
For Johnson-Hill, finding your passion is not about sticking to what you already know, but about trying what scares you most.
Public speaking terrified him as a kid, but he discovered his passion for it by challenging himself.
“Passions aren’t just things you naturally enjoy,” Johnson-Hill said. “Sometimes, they’re things you’re terrified of, hidden behind childhood anxieties. If you push through that fear, you find incredible skills.”
His creative journey began 20 years ago in Beijing. There, he opened a shop selling T-shirts featuring everyday Chinese objects. That leap of faith has shaped him into the artist he is today.
To him, true creativity is about being open to how the future might change.
“When you’re young, try as many things as you possibly can: be a barman, a waitress [or] a gardener. Enjoy the serendipity of life and take opportunities that don’t seem to make sense,” he said.
“If you want to go into the creative world, one of your greatest responsibilities is to go out, explore and enjoy life.”
