Hong Kong Umbrella Michael Wolf

Hong Kong's rich vernacular culture is the subject of many works by Michael Wolf. In his new book Hong Kong Umbrella he turns his attention to countless umbrellas in the back alleys of the metropolis. Stretched and in all colors and patterns they lie, stand or hang everywhere, protect laundry, goods, market stalls and bikes or someone lies down underneath to have a snooze.

In September 2014 a young man in a crowd of protesters raised his yellow umbrella to protect himself and his friends against the onslaught of pepper spray being shot at him from the Hong Kong police, the yellow umbrella quickly became the symbol of the October Revolution and Occupy Central, the student movement, which fights for political freedom and the right for Hong Kong people to vote for their own leaders.

Hong Kong Umbrella is the 4th of 9 volumes from Michael Wolf's Hong Kong Back Alley Encyclopedia, in which he celebrates the diverse aspects of street life in Hong Kong and the improvisational skills of the urban residents.