Great creative talent might be found anywhere – and even in abundance – but it is simply locating these artists that can often prove challenging for businesses looking to commission work. All the while, Hong Kong’s talented creatives are having an equally difficult time surfacing and taking flight to cross the paths of businesses. This is where mother hen steps in.

Mother hen, or Hatch.hk, is a young illustration agency that aims to promote local artists to commercial industries. Its philosophy and ambition is shared by parent company Start Creative and the long-established London-based sister site, Breed, leads by example. Hatch.hk Artist Manager Krisdean Law sums up that philosophy and ambition: “Basically, what Hatch wants to do is to bridge artists with commercial operators. We’re trying to bring artistic sense to commercial work and at the same time, we want to create a medium that will work with the clients. We can actually execute and form different styles. It could be an illustration for animation in a movie, a magazine head or cover, or a shop window or packaging design.”

Krisdean has helped nurture the company from its hatchling days, along with the two directors Jonathan Cummings and Michael Dorrain (Managing Director and Creative Director respectively). Instigating the original signing of their artists on their roster (officially eight as listed on their website) as well as organising the launch party, Krisdean has done her fair share of egg sitting. “The idea hatched from our parent company

and from Jonathan,” she says, smiling slightly at her pun. “He was aware of there being so much talent in Hong Kong that shouldn’t be missed so he started Hatch in December last year.”

Their impressive artist roster prompted the question of how difficult it was to find them. “With finding talent, you just have to know the first one. It’s a small society here and they all know each other well. So basically, when you know one, there will be a group of others.” So artists, live by the safetyin- numbers rule too. It is by virtue of the closeness of the city, perhaps, that friends find each other through shared passions. The problem, according to Krisdean, is that there is not much of a platform for creative minds in Hong Kong to band together, making that initial find more problematic.

Hatch.hk’s artists are, by and large, represented individually.There is, though, one exception . Two artists have come together under the name PikPik Zoo and it is evident, as Krisdean shows us their portfolio, that the two are not only talented, but are also something special in the eyes of their manager. “PikPik Zoo is a very special one because they had this idea of creating this cartoon panda together and it’s a thing that also shows how friendship collaborates and creates.” Not to say that the other Hatch artists don’t get a special hug from big mama’s feathery arms.

It doesn’t matter whether it is a group or an individual – the key is the mindset. “There is an importance in diversity. We want each one to come up with

their own styles, which makes our range of artists more diverse for when we show them as a collective online.” When asked whether the culture here better lends itself to individual or collaborative initiatives, Krisdean goes against the grain of supposed dichotomy taught in schools around Hong Kong, stating that groups or individuals in the artistic world are not a viable cultural distinction.

“I think that many Hong Kong people actually indulge in many different cultures and if it happens that a group of people work together, it is more likely because they may have a shared passion they want to develop. This is a collective, right?” The point is well made – that the pursuit of art and creativity exists above that which divides us.

“Illustration is an international language,” enthuses Krisdean. “It can impact people and create strong memories. It immediately communicates to people in a clear way. It’s a great way to deliver a message.”

Communication between peers with shared interests is one thing, but how does the agency market its artists to potentialclients? The expected response was – Hatch.hk looks to make life easy for both artist and client. If the client has a clear idea of which artist they want, Hatch will make the arrangements. If a client is unsure or torn between two choices, Hatch will come to the rescue.