Talking Animals

A joint exhibition by French-Swiss street artist M. Chat and Australian artist Phil Hayes at Art Supermarket, Hong Kong, exploring the world through animals' eyes in a cultural encounter between Western and Asian worlds.

"Talking Animals" is a joint exhibition presented by Art Supermarket, Hong Kong, featuring new works by Phil Hayes (Australia) and Thoma Vuille, known as M. Chat (France/Switzerland).

The show invites viewers into a simple, open universe seen through animals' eyes. In a world where human communication is filtered and noisy, animals offer something more honest: no lies, no hiding, no interpretation, just instinct and natural perception. Through different species from across the globe, both artists offer an optimistic and emotional take on daily life, bridging Western and Asian cultural worlds.

For this exhibition, Phil Hayes chose the kangaroo as his central character, using timber laser-cut works to explore Asian cultural icons, beliefs, traditions and political views. Each piece offers a real exploration of the cultural distance between West and East through the lens of animals, manga and celebrity imagery.

M. Chat, the iconic smiling yellow cat seen on walls across Europe and beyond, made his first trip to Hong Kong for the exhibition, including live painting performances in Asia.