Saturday night, Nike held a charity art event at its 26 Degrees space in Hong Kong‘s Mid Levels neighborhood. The location’s unique in that it allows the crowd to spill out onto a large open terrace, providing a comfortable place to chat with friends. The silent auction / reception was in full swing when I arrived.

Guests walked around the space browsing the small canvases which were hung against the walls and placed on a table in the center of the room.

There were works by a great variety of artists who approached the 6″ by 6″ canvas in different ways. Some of the artists chose to create multi-paneled works.

Others built dimension into their creations, instead of a submitting a flat image.

A few used alternative materials such as wood or felt. There were several big name artists who contributed including Michael Lau. Many of Nike’s own designers had items up for bid.

The atmosphere was fun with free drinks and snacks like cookies and homemade cupcakes. (Hey, what’s not to like about cupcakes?)

The turnout was excellent, with many familiar faces in the local creative scene in attendance. The bidding started to intensify as the 9:30 pm submission deadline approached.

In addition to the artists, there were several canvases painted by children with severe illnesses also up for bid. This was brought to my attention by Poon from CLOT who was purchasing one. His kind gesture drove home the theme of the exhibition to me – all it takes is one person to build a little hope in someone’s life.

The organizers and bidders deserve thanks for supporting a good cause.