A Hong Kong transport hub was taken over Sunday by googly eyed aliens, extra-terrestrial jellyfish and a cast of eccentric characters — all part of a live performance by British artist Sam Cox, better known as Mr Doodle.
![British artist Sam Cox, better known as Mr. Doodle, posing for a picture with his piece "The Doodles Leave Earth" at Pearl Lam Galleries in Hong Kong on November 16, 2023, Photo: Dene Chen/AFP.](https://hongkongfp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/34448QZ-highres-Copy.jpg)
The 29-year-old calls his style “graffiti spaghetti” — a series of interlocking patterns, whimsical characters and surreal narratives that often chronicle the adventures of Mr Doodle in “Doodle Land”.
![A two-metre-wide silver spaceship with drawings of British artist Sam Cox, better known as Mr. Doodle, is installed at an MTR station in Central district on November 19, 2023. Photo: Tom Grundy/HKFP.](https://hongkongfp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/20231119_220033-Copy.jpg)
His show in Hong Kong attracted hundreds of fans and curious onlookers, his canvas a two-metre-wide silver spaceship for him “to fly back home” installed at an MTR station in Central district.
“I really enjoy the live performances in front of people, because I love to be able to hear people get inside the process,” Cox told AFP in an interview Thursday.
![British artist Sam Cox, better known as Mr. Doodle, posing for a picture with his piece "The Doodles Leave Earth" at Pearl Lam Galleries in Hong Kong on November 16, 2023, Photo: Dene Chen/AFP.](https://hongkongfp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/34437FU-highres-Copy.jpg)
“I don’t always know where it is going, and everyone is just there together and enjoying the process.”
Cox — who cites the late American pop artist Keith Haring as an influence — gamely adopts his alter ego, dressing in a doodled suit during his public events, which on Sunday included a crowd of children.
“(My daughters)… were so excited when they knew Mr Doodle was coming,” Mimi Tjen told AFP, as her husband alternated between hoisting their nine- and 11-year-old daughters on his shoulders to get a better view.
![Drawings by British artist Sam Cox, better known as Mr. Doodle, installed at an MTR station in Central district on November 19, 2023. Photo: Tom Grundy/HKFP.](https://hongkongfp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/20231119_220053-Copy.jpg)
As many children’s first drawings are often doodles, “they understand that language,” said Cox.
At Sunday’s event, 10 children joined him to scrawl their own creations on his spaceship — some imitating the Mr Doodle style, while others opted for mountains and stars.
‘Relaxation and joy’
“I like to create artwork that doesn’t take itself too seriously… a lot of people expect art and artists to act a certain way,” Cox told AFP.
![British artist Sam Cox (top), better known as Mr. Doodle, draws on a model spaceship for a live art performance with children from Make-A-Wish Foundation at Central MTR Station in Hong Kong on November 19, 2023. Photo: Isaac Lawrence/AFP.](https://hongkongfp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/3444726-highres-Copy.jpg)
“I try to listen to myself and think about what’s the most ultimate version of myself I can be.”
His pieces carry price tags ranging from US$10,000 to US$500,000, according to Pearl Lam, Cox’s global representation.
Lam said she typically signs more traditional creators who tend to prefer their exhibition spaces austere.
![Drawings by British artist Sam Cox](https://hongkongfp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/20231119_220503-Copy.jpg)
But for “Mr Doodle in Space” — a solo exhibition launched Thursday — her staff wallpapered her gallery in Cox’s signature imagery, enveloping his canvases with an eye-popping pandemonium of scribbles.
![Drawings by British artist Sam Cox, better known as Mr. Doodle. Photo](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.asianewsday.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/In-Pictures-Artist-Mr-Doodle-brings-his-‘graffiti-spaghetti-and.jpg?media=1711926444)
Lam said Cox’s social media following and full embodiment of the character is bringing a younger generation to art.
“In this modern commercial world, you need some relaxation and joy… that’s what Mr Doodle gives.”
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