An HK artist reflects the practical strength that Hong Kong inspires in his oils. Pauline D Loh finds out more.

Hong Kong artist Yeung Tong Lung first arrived hungry and poor, displaced from his native Fujian province in the turbulence of the '70s. In the years since, he has come to appreciate and be grateful to his adoptive home. In return, he has bared its soul on his canvases, capturing little vignettes of life that speak of the territory's persistent spirit of survival.

To support his family, he worked as a mural painter, decorated film sets and even took part in the construction of Disneyland - even though his art was already recognized and being collected by museums and private buyers from Hong Kong, Australia, Switzerland and exhibited in Beijing, Japan and the United States.

Through it all, his keen eye for the manifestation of resilience in the human spirit has supplied inspiration and a bank of subjects. They may be everyday scenes, and humble characters that walk the streets of Hong Kong. But on Yeung's canvases, there is a trove of untold stories that titillate the imagination.

All are in Hong Kong, and of Hong Kong.

The tram, oil on canvas

Disturbingly androgynous figures titillate the imagination and make one wonder about their stories set against the background of the island's iconic trams.

Embrace, oil on canvas.

A voyeuristic depiction of love in the city enhanced by a rather precarious perspective of an urban abyss.

Visit, oil on canvas

Layered perspectives play tricks on the eye even as a certain poignancy draws attention to the central figures.

Reflexology, oil on canvas

Yeung casts friends in roles. Here, photographer John Fung is portrayed as the reflexologist.

Practice portraits, oils on canvas

Random sketches on the artist's studio wall capture the multinational cast of characters that walk Hong Kong streets every day.