A mall frequented by locals in Hong Kong has addressed furor surrounding provocative illustrations of scantily-clad women… by somehow making them more outrageous.
The nine-story Dragon Centre at Hong Kong’s Sham Shui Po had been recognizable for its racy billboards by illustrator Elphonso Lam Cheung-kwan depicting pin-up girls in swimsuits, sportswear, and school uniforms.
The risqué appeal became part of the mall’s branding, and nuances of it were even added to buses.
However, not all locals were receptive to this sort of aesthetic. According to the Hong Kong Standard, district councilor Nicole Lau Pui-yuk from the conservative Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong pushed for the artworks to be taken down following complaints from parents, who thought the imagery was inappropriate and raunchy.
The artist responded that the illustrations had been approved by the Obscene Articles Tribunal, and suggested that the graphics would only be indecent if the viewer’s thoughts were indecent in the first place.
Nonetheless, disgruntled parents got what they wished for—though not exactly in the way they had imagined. Instead of wholly replacing the imagery, Dragon Centre kept faithful to its cheeky branding by parodying the original graphics.
Source: DesignTAXI
phillamx.wordpress.com 