Illustration as an Agent of Change

Murals are often seen as decorative additions to the urban landscape, but for illustrator and installation artist UUendy Lau (UU), they can act as tools for connection, storytelling and positive change in the city. In this talk, she will explore how illustration in public space can reshape the way we experience our surroundings, from transforming overlooked places into moments of curiosity and shared reflection, to encouraging us to slow down, engage more deeply and revisit familiar places from new perspectives.

Drawing from her projects created for street art festivals, cultural institutions and global clients including UNIQLO and Vans, UU reflects on how public wall art can shift audiences from passive observers to active participants, turn spaces into shared cultural archives, and, even within commercial works, celebrate local identity while strengthening connections between businesses and communities.

Across these contexts, UU reinterprets how murals and outdoor illustration can move beyond surface-level aesthetics to foster social engagement, bring people together and redefine our relationship with the city, elevating ordinary wall surfaces as open platforms for dialogue, imagination and collective experience.