常言道：「藝術源於生活。」生活在石屎森林、日常壓力大得只能透過社交媒體掀起連場罵戰來發洩情緒的香港人，真的有創作藝術的空間嗎？因為心靈脆弱，所以非得已加上一句「不喜勿插」保護自己。然而，一名本地的愛貓設計師提醒我們：時時想着上網「插人」，不如動手「插畫」吧；幸福就在畫筆之下。
It is said that “art comes from life”. Living in a concrete jungle, do Hong Kong people — so pressurised that they must ignite debates via social media to set their emotions free — really have the space to create art? Since we are too fragile, we have to protect ourselves by asking others not to attack our comments. Yet, a local cat-loving designer reminds us that it is better to illustrate than insult, as we will discover that happiness is only a pencil tip away.
一打開 missquai 在 Instagram 上的個人頁面（@missquai），很快便會被她色彩繽紛的插畫所吸引。這裏既有 missquai 作為設計師為不同品牌設計的作品，例如不少香港人都熟悉的雀巢牛奶公司，也有她以插畫家身份繪製的畫作。其中最為注目的，當然是出現率特別高的黑色貓貓。貓貓常以擬人姿態出現，陪伴圖中人物，有時甚至比人的體型更為碩大，足見 missquai 對貓貓的喜愛。
Clicking into missquai’s Instagram profile (@missquai), one is quickly captivated by her colourful illustrations. There are not only works that missquai has designed for different brands, such as the familiar Nestlé Dairy Farm with many Hong Kong people, but also her own creations as an illustrator. Among these, the black cat enjoys a peculiarly frequent exposure. It often appears in a personified form, accompanying the characters in the illustrations, sometimes even larger than its human counterparts. This exemplifies missquai’s love for cats.
Inspired by the film The French Dispatch, missquai created this illustration which also reflects her own experience in working with magazines.
原來，黑色貓貓是 missquai 飼養多年的愛貓 Ah B 的化身。2021 年末時，missquai 開始每星期以畫作為年屆 19 歲的 Ah B 留念，記錄主人和寵物之間珍貴的共同回憶。雖然 missquai 慨歎「人一直都很脆弱」，但是她從沒有放棄使用溫暖的色彩，以一畫一劃，療癒每一個微小的心靈。各種原因令到計劃被逼延後，不過 missquai 終於在 2024 年完成了這份送給 Ah B 最後的生日禮物。
The black cat turned out to be an image of Ah B, missquai’s cat of which she had been taking care for years. Towards the end of 2021, missquai began to create weekly paintings for then-19-year-old Ah B, hoping to record the precious shared memories between the two of them. Despite lamenting that “people have always been fragile”, missquai never gave up on using warm colours in her illustrations. With every stroke, she cured another small soul. The weekly project had been postponed for different reasons at times, but eventually, missquai finished her final birthday gift for Ah B by the end of 2024.
Where has the cat gone into hiding? Can you find it out?
Is it here?
當 missquai 未能如期為 Ah B 創作插畫時，她想必也會感到壓力的。我們感到壓力很大的時候，有可能會選擇怨天尤人，也很容易把自己的情緒發洩至別人身上，令社會怨聲載道。與其在網上胡亂「插人」，不如回歸自身，拿起畫筆動手「插畫」吧。其實快樂無分大小，所謂的小確幸也不過一種表達方式；只要觀察身邊的各種事物，便不難發現生活中的藝術，繼而找到自己的快樂空間。
When missquai could not illustrate for Ah B on time, she must have been stressful. Under pressure, we may sometimes blame others and project our own emotions onto someone else, thereby flooding society with anger. Instead of going online and mindlessly attacking people, it is wiser perhaps to return to oneself and start drawing. Actually, there is no such thing as big or small happiness; it is simply a matter of expression. As we observe around ourselves, we will see the art in life, and locate our own spaces of happiness.
In what seems like a perfectly normal children’s playground, missquai tactfully inserts surreal and thought-provoking elements: double vision of the cat, a tiny sun above the head and… a child hung by a railing?!
幸福很難嗎？藝術呢？生活呢？在現今的大環境下，一切都看似充斥着無力感。即使我們無法改變世界，還是可以自己插畫自己畫的。插畫，顧名思義，是加插的點綴。讓我們學習 missquai 的精神，並延續 Ah B 曾帶來的一點快樂，為自己的生活插入一點幸福。
Is happiness difficult? What about art? And life? It seems that everything is helpless in today’s environment at large. Even though we cannot change the world, we can still illustrate for ourselves. To illustrate is to enhance what is otherwise bare. Let us learn from missquai her spirit of creation, so that we may live on with the happiness once brought to us by Ah B, channeling it into our everyday life.
missquai’s first work inspired by her cat Ah B
missquai 是誰？Who is missquai?
missquai 是一名香港插畫家和設計師。她的作品經常以活潑生動的方式呈現本地社區面貌。其創作靈感來自於生活中的小事，還有頻頻出現的貓貓。missquai is a Hong Kong-based illustrator and designer. She often portrays the local community in a lively manner. She is inspired by the little things in life and, quite noticeably, her cats.
missquai 畢業於理工大學設計學院及浸會大學視覺藝術院。她曾獲頒香港青年設計才俊獎，並到丹麥及荷蘭的工作室進行創作。missquai graduated from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s School of Design and Hong Kong Baptist University’s Academy of Visual Arts. She was named a Hong Kong Young Designer Talent and had spent time in design studios in Denmark and the Netherlands.
Let the cat be a guide so that we can blow bubbles into air while enjoying the scenery along!
近期作品 Recent works
missquai 近期作品包括與 ohmykids、甜記餃子和雀巢香港等本地品牌的合作。這些品牌皆與大眾有深厚的感情連繫。作品的主題涵蓋兒童、環境友善、食物文化以至集體回憶，反映出設計師視香港為根源的重要性。雖然香港在世界之中只是「彈丸之地」，但是 missquai 始終不忘展現每個小社區親密的歸屬感。
Her recent projects include collaborations with ohmykids, Tin Kee Dumpling Restaurant and Nestlé Hong Kong, all of which are local brands that share a meaningful connection with the public. The themes in her works, ranging from children and eco-friendliness to food culture and collective memories, reflect missquai’s strong ties with her roots in Hong Kong. Even though Hong Kong is a small city in the world, missquai demonstrates the sense of belonging unique to intimate neighbourhoods.
missquai designing for Tin Kee Dumpling Restaurant; two cats are also holding up dumplings!
創作理念 Be inspired to inspire…
missquai 相信設計會使世界變得更美好。她期望透過自己的插畫和設計作品，燃亮他人的生命，不斷分享希望與喜樂。missquai believes in designing for a better world. More hopes, joy and happiness will be shared by way of her illustrations and designs that illuminate people’s lives.
Summertime is a good time to grab a bottle of iced soft drink at the store! Cheers!
圖片提供：missquai｜Courtesy of missquai