On April 1, 2026, as part of its Beyond City series, RAS China is pleased to welcome Hong Kong–born writer and designer Billy Potts, who will speak about his ongoing project, Hong Kong Ghost Signs. Over the past five years, Billy has undertaken a deep exploration of Hong Kong's fading signage and graphic traces—the remnants of shuttered businesses and departed lives—whose stories linger on the walls of a city they once called home. These extinguished neons and hand-painted characters, though weathered by time, continue to radiate the energy and craftsmanship of their era.
The ghost signs of Hong Kong serve as brief, abstract chronicles of a city in flux, concisely capturing the essential daily rhythms, aspirations, and vernacular artistry of a place. They stand as quiet declarations of the right to occupy space—expressions of a creative impulse as primal as cave painting. Join us as we look through this keyhole in time, glimpsing the layered history of ordinary people through the forgotten language of their signs.
At the Sketch Yard Art Restaurant. Beverages and light snacks will be served. Entry for members is rmb 100. Non members is rmb 200.
Convened by: Robert Martin
Hong Kong Ghost Signs
Speakers
Billy Potts
Designer, Writer, Partner and Creative Director of Steiner&Co.
Billy Potts is a Hong Kong–born designer, writer, and creative director whose work explores the relationship between design, storytelling, and place. He is Partner and Creative Director at Steiner&Co., the studio founded by legendary graphic designer Henry Steiner, whose work with clients such as HSBC, Hongkong Land, and The Hong Kong Jockey Club helped define Hong Kong’s modern visual landscape.
Across Hong Kong’s cultural and commercial sectors, Billy has developed design and branding work for Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Tramways, Camel Vacuum Flasks, P&G, Chinachem, Alliance Française, and Young Master Brewery. His practice consistently examines how visual language shapes cultural identity, collective memory, and the texture of urban life.
A council member of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch, Billy is also a key contributor to Zolima CityMag and a regular writer for the South China Morning Post, where he explores vernacular design, cultural heritage, and the evolving streetscapes of Hong Kong. He is the co-author of Henry Steiner’s Hong Kong and the author of the forthcoming Hong Kong Ghost Signs, which documents the city’s disappearing visual vernacular and the human stories it reveals.
In addition to his design and writing practice, Billy teaches Visual Communication at the University of Hong Kong, where he is pursuing a PhD on the symbolism and lore of dragon dancing arts in the Chinese diaspora—with Hong Kong at the heart of this living tradition.
Sponsors and Partners
Tickets
RAS Institutional Members
RMB 100
Standard Price
Buy TicketThis is for Paid and Honorary RAS Institutional Members Only. Approval is required.
Other RAS Branches (Korea, Beijing, Hong Kong, etc.)
RMB 100
Standard Price
Buy TicketApproval is required.