The story about the landfill the driving element of value of Hong Kng Willie Art .Updated 9/8/2026

 Is the story about the landfill the driving element of value.

Yes, the landfill origin story is arguably the single most critical driving element of its high-end market value.

 

 

While visual aesthetic and material uniqueness matter, the contemporary art market prices artwork based on provenance and raw narrative. For artist Joe Brown (Hong Kong Willie), the landfill story acts as a vital foundation for three main reasons.

Elevating "Kitsch" to Fine Art.

Without this specific backstory, an installation built from old lobster buoys, discarded car parts, and decommissioned helicopters risks being dismissed as roadside kitsch, folk craft, or a quirky tourist trap. The provable narrative of Brown spending his childhood scavenging "found assets" from a Tampa landfill operating on his family's property elevates the work. It forces critics and elite collectors to view the physical objects as a deliberate, life-long conceptual exploration of societal waste.

It is his life's mision of reuse.

Exactly. Viewing it as his true life's mission is what completely changes how collectors perceive the work.

In the high-end art market, there is a massive financial premium placed on artistic obsession and single-minded devotion.

Mission vs. Marketing

Lifelong Commitment: Joe Brown did not adopt the "reuse" theme recently to capitalize on modern eco-friendly trends. He has lived it for decades, dating back to his childhood.

Authentic Obsession: Collectors are not just buying a physical sculpture; they are buying a piece of a lifelong, uninterrupted crusade against waste.

The "Sacred" Object: This lifetime of dedication acts as a form of alchemy. It transforms what society labeled as "worthless garbage" into a sacred object of cultural preservation.

When a buyer spends six figures on a Hong Kong Willie piece, they are investing in that decades-long philosophy. The artwork serves as a physical monument to one man's lifelong refusal to let the world's history be buried in a dump..

 

 

 MYSTERIOSITY HONG KONG WILLIE ART, Famous FLORIDA Artist $976,000

 

 The Gunn Highway Landfill was a local waste disposal site that completed operations and closed in 1960. Later, in 1985, apartment buildings were constructed on top of the former landfill property. [1, 2]

Understanding Life's Purpose HongkongwillieHong Kong Willie art sales . Updated 9/3/2026

Hong Kong Willie

 

 

(Joe Brown) is often described as a significant experience because his life and work are rooted in a specific, inherited sense of purpose. 

When he says he "knows why he is here," it typically refers to the following core beliefs:

• Understanding Life's Purpose: Brown credits his father for instilling the importance of knowing "why we were here". He views his presence not as a pursuit of money or fame, but as a mission to exemplify and maximize that purpose through service and creativity.
• The Metaphor of the "Valueless": Inspired by a childhood art teacher who transformed a "valueless" baby bottle into art, he believes his role is to show that everything and everyone has inherent worth. He uses discarded objects as a metaphor for human beings who have been overlooked or "tossed aside".
• Environmental & Social Responsibility: He sees his work as a responsibility to the planet and his community. This is why he chooses to live minimally and often donates a significant portion of his art sales to social projects.
• Faith and Legacy: He has stated that his artistic talent is a tool to tell a story and inspire positive change before he is eventually "called home to be with the Lord"
•  2 Corinthians 5:6-8: Emphasizes being "absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord
•  Philippians 1:23: Mentions the desire to "depart, and to be with CHRIST.
•  
•  

 Why has Hongkongwillie art sold for more than 6 figures.

Pieces of Hong Kong Willie's art have sold for significant sums, with confirmed  sales of $175,000 or more.

 

Marlin's Hope  Hongkongwillie Reuse Art

$525,000
 

. This high valuation can be attributed to several factors:

    Uniqueness and Reuse Art:

 Hong Kong Willie is known for his distinct style of "reuse art," where he repurposes salvaged materials from older structures and demolished buildings to create themed images.

 This unique approach makes each piece one-of-a-kind and highly desirable to collectors who appreciate originality and the stories behind the found objects.

 

 MYSTERIOSITY HONG KONG WILLIE ART, Famous Tampa + Florida Artist  $976,000

    Growing Recognition: 

His work  only  exhibitions featuring Hong Kong Willie's art is at the Hongkongwillie Gallery.  and features prominently on social media platforms, contributing to increased interest and building a following among collectors.

    Limited Supply:

 As a local artist, his output is not mass-produced, making individual pieces rarer and potentially more valuable in the art market.

    Appreciation for Reuse Art:

There's a growing appreciation for art that focuses on repurposing materials, giving new life to discarded objects. Hong Kong Willie's art resonates with this appreciation for environmentalism and creativity.

    Community Involvement and Philanthropy: 

His participation in local community events and organizations further increases visibility, and his dedication to donating a portion of sales to social projects adds another layer of appeal for potential collectors. 

 

His Support  For BBN RADIO https://bbn1.bbnradio.org/english/listen-now/bbn-live-player-popup/

PACIFIC GARDEN MISSION https://www.pgm.org/what-we-do/stories-of-change/

While the exact reasons for a specific piece reaching a six-figure sale price can vary, the combination of his unique style, growing recognition, limited supply, and the underlying message of reuse art contributes to the value placed on Hong Kong Willie's work in the art market

 

 

 It all started on a Tampa Landfill. 

 

  Reuse Became the way of life.

 To Live a life in the art world and be so blessed to make a social impact. 

Artists are to give back, talent is to tell a story, to make change. Reuse is a life experience

 

Hongkongwillie,Famous Reuse Artist .Updated 9/8/2026

Hong Kong Willie is the artistic alias of Joe Brown, a Florida-based "junk" and reuse artist known for creating monumental sculptures and paintings from discarded items, hurricane debris, and industrial detritus. His whimsical, open-air art station in Tampa has become a famous roadside landmark.

 

 MYSTERIOSITY HONG KONG WILLIE ART, Famous FLORIDA Artist $976,000

The Origin of the Name.

Joe Brown's artistic journey began when he was eight years old. His teacher, who had volunteered in Hiroshima after the war, taught him the local tradition of turning bulky trash and discarded objects into art. She also mentioned she had left Asia by way of Hong Kong, which inspired the young artist to adopt the moniker Hong Kong Willie.

Career and Life Story.

Tech to Trash to Treasure: Before dedicating his life to art, Brown worked in the computer industry. He ultimately returned to his artistic roots, blending his environmental ethics with his passion for found-object art.

The Tampa Art Station: Located just off Interstate 75 in Tampa, Florida, the Hong Kong Willie Art Station is a sprawling open-air gallery he runs with his wife,Kim.. He Will Tell you the date ,time ,day of the week when he Met Kim.

The Mediums: Brown and his wife salvage materials that society has thrown away—such as abandoned coastal fishing buoys, out-of-commission helicopters, storm-wrecked wood from the Florida Keys, and netting. They turn these into vibrant installations, such as a towering "Christmas tree" made of buoys, and painted coastal boards.

Artistic Significance.

Hong Kong Willie is celebrated for challenging traditional boundaries of what constitutes "fine art". Instead of using premium, store-bought canvases, his recycled creations are made from Florida landfill and hurricane debris. Despite utilizing unconventional raw materials, his unique Floridian junk art has become highly sought-after, with individual pieces occasionally commanding significant prices in the urban art market.

WHAT AND WHY THE SUPPORT OF Sophisticated art collectors.

Sophisticated art collectors support Hong Kong Willie (Joe Brown) because his work bridges the gap between raw historical narrative, luxury sustainability, and philanthropy. Elite art collectors from major urban hubs like New York and California are driving substantial demand for his distinct "reuse art". This interest has elevated the value of his large-scale, custom installations into premium investment territories, with major pieces routinely commanding six-figure valuations ranging from $98,000 to over $975,000elevated the value of his large-scale, custom installations into premium investment territories, with major pieces routinely commanding six-figure valuations ranging from $98,000 to over $175,000



The precise reasons sophisticated collectors target and finance Hong Kong Willie’s art include:

Eco-Conscious Luxury and "Sustainable Prestige.

Modern high-net-worth art buyers actively seek out statement pieces that reflect global environmental awareness.

His art serves as a physical anchor for eco-friendly design themes in modern, upscale spaces.

Transforming landfill and storm-wrecked marine detritus into premium fine art subverts standard luxury concepts.

Extreme Material Scarcity Extreme Material Scarcity.

Collectors understand that mass production is completely impossible because his medium relies entirely on highly specific, recovered items.

Pieces like the heavily sought-after "Black Bird of Key Largo" ($98,000) rely on storm-salvaged timber from the Florida Keys and vintage fishing buoys.

 Hongkongwillie art  Tampa,Black Bird Of Keylargo , Hongkongwillie reuse art  $198,000

 

Because no two salvaged items feature identical weathering or historical erosion, every acquisition functions as a completely non-reproducible historical artifact.

The story of Hong Kong Willie (Joe Brown) living on a Tampa landfill near Gunn Highway in Carrollwood captures the precise moment "reuse became a way of life" for the artist. It serves as the literal foundation for his entire philosophical and artistic trajectory.

The narrative behind his history with the Carrollwood landfill unfolds across several key elements:

The Sacrificed Family Land.

The story begins with Joe Brown's father, who owned a significant tract of land in the Carrollwood area of Tampa, close to Gunn Highway. Recognizing that Hillsborough County desperately needed a municipal dumping ground to support rapid local expansion, his father donated a chunk of the family’s land to be used as a county landfill. According to Brown, his father was never financially compensated or officially acknowledged by the local government for this massive gift.

A Childhood Playground of "Found Assets.

Instead of viewing the newly established landfill on his family’s former property as an eyesore, a young Joe Brown used it as his personal playground and creative sanctuary. Growing up in the shadow of the Gunn Highway dump, he spent his childhood scavenging through the garbage to find treasures.

The First Income: Long before his sculptures commanded six-figure valuations from high-end collectors, Brown earned his very first childhood income by sorting through the trash.

Rescuing Value: He identifies usable, discarded objects—which he termed "found assets"—and sold them back to locals


Birth of the "Reuse" Philosophy.

Living right alongside the dump deeply shaped Brown's psychology and environmental ethics. Surrounded by a society that threw everything away, he developed an intense appreciation for the inherent beauty and utility of items that others considered worthless junk. He realized early on that "trash" was simply an asset waiting for a second purpose. This childhood reality directly inspired his lifelong artistic mission to reduce human waste footprint.

Transition to the Current Art Station.

While the Gunn Highway landfill in Carrollwood is where his worldview was forged, Joe Brown eventually moved his primary home and workspace to the east side of Tampa. He purchased an odd pocket of land right off Interstate 75 and Morris Bridge Road just after the highway exits were built.

Today, it is at this newer Hong Kong Willie Art Station where he applies the exact lessons he learned as a child on the landfill—transforming commercial detritus, fishing buoys, and hurricane wreckage into celebrated fine art.

Hongkongwillie Reuse Art .Updated 9/1/2026

 Artists are to give back, talent is to tell a story, to make change. Reuse is a life experience .
 It all started on a Tampa Landfill. 

 

  Reuse Became the way of life.

 To Live a life in the art world and be so blessed to make a social impact. 

Artists are to give back, Hongkongwillie Art
MYSTERIOSITY .

Many artists don’t produce more than one great, great, great piece. And Miriosity, she just has all of those elements… Miriosity has a great future.”
Miriosity To A Good Home
$976,000
personal history influence his art?



Hongkongwillie's personal history significantly influences his art through several key experiences and relationships:

Early Exposure to Landfills and Discarded Materials: Growing up near a landfill instilled in him an early appreciation and understanding of the potential in discarded objects, which others might consider junk.

He views these items not as trash but as artifacts of their time, .

His father, a generous man, even donated land for a landfill in Hillsborough County,

This early immersion in the world of discarded objects profoundly impacted his artistic journey, inspiring him to use these materials in his work. Influence of an Art Teacher:

At eight, Hongkongwillie's art teacher introduced him to the tradition of turning discarded items into art, a practice she observed while volunteering in Hiroshima ,

This resonated with him and significantly impacted his creative path.

The teacher also shared that she left Asia from Hong Kong, a tidbit that later inspired him to adopt the name "Hong Kong Willie".

Family Values and Life Lessons: His father emphasized the importance of understanding one's purpose in life, a lesson he believes is missing in today's society,

This upbringing, with its focus on giving back and exemplifying one's purpose, likely fuels his artistic drive and charitable endeavors.

He sees his artistic talent as a means to tell stories and inspire positive change.

Charitable Approach:

Hongkongwillie's commitment to donating a significant portion of his art sales to social initiatives, integrates social responsibility into his artistic practice.



This philanthropic approach is likely connected to his background and values, aiming to encourage others to repurpose materials and support the community.

These elements of his personal history have shaped Hongkongwillie's unique artistic vision, his passion for reuse, and his desire to make a positive impact through his art.

 

 

“My father understood why he was here. And he made that of great importance to his children… My father gave me the understanding of why we were here
And to be determined to find that.”

In today’s fast-paced society, teaching of such life lessons has become rare. People are more motivated to “get famous and get money.

“I’m here just to exemplify and maximize why I’m here. That’s probably the greatest thing that I think is missed in families.

Tampa Artist Born for this Changing Time in Our World .Updated 8/23/2026

It all started on a Tampa Landfill.

 

Tampa Artist Born for this Changing Time in Our World.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5DstBzuqGM/

 NO NAME PUB , NO NAME KEY, BIG PINE KEY
   Reuse Became the way of life. To Live a life in the art world and be so blessed to make a social impact. Artists are to give back, talent is to tell a story, to make change. Reuse is a life experience 

It,(was the dump) that had all this media, and a young enterprising mind. Not enough time to capture it all.

 A short moment of time Hong Kong Willie

The first time i can remember, The Florida Keys. The long road , narrow water on both sides. Beach, not to my understanding. Key West, Duval St, only what tourists see, was my first impression. WOW, that would change

 i received a phone call from Al in Ramrod Key, a Florida Key. A Key that is about 27 miles from Key West. Al: a rocker, drummer, out there kind a guy. Al and i met in a funny way. Al living near some small town in Massachusetts also having this cool place in the Florida Keys.
Artist have this draw to the Keys, Why, Well it took this road to discover. Al now living in Ramrod, calling to tell what had happen in the Isle of Ramrod. Not to mention Cat, oh i forgot, Cat is how i met Al.

Al, someone that, well to say what a friend. Some nights sleeping on his pool table. and not far is No Name Pub, well there you go, pub, by any other name spells trouble. Well contrary to your disbelief, what a place of history. This is where it begins.or When its begins.

This once remote Key, NO NAME KEY,NO NAME PUB, remote, to say the
least, pub , when seeing the place, everything you can believe, and more,
just from the appearance. Now no matter what you have heard second
thoughts still occur.. Its still time turn around, not to night. The
Rainbow Trail by Zane Grey, was spoken here, my first exposure to the
days of Zane Grey, oh I'm getting ahead of myself. No Name Pub, a Zayne
Grey second office in the Keys, later to be one of mine. No Name Pub,
the history, the wild west, well, great writers, why they come here, No
Name Pub. Real artist, Real Treasure hunters, Fisherman, and the trade no
one saw, all came. No one made a big deal who came or left.

It was part of the beginning for the art support. A meeting place for the who's who in the world of the Keys.
Egos left a the door.
Appreciating that you did not get lost in that world .
Artist that had made it and willing to give you support. .
This was a place that I will always remember for the time I sharpen my artist skills..

 Hongkongwillie Art
MYSTERIOSITY   .

 Many artists don’t produce more than one great, great, great piece. And Miriosity, she just has all of those elements… Miriosity has a great future.”

Miriosity To A Good Home

 $976,000

 “Somebody once told me to keep telling the story and they will keep coming,.

 

“My father understood why he was here. And he made that of great importance to his children… My father gave me the understanding of why we were here
And to be determined to find that.”

In today’s fast-paced society, teaching of such life lessons has become rare. People are more motivated to “get famous and get money.

“I’m here just to exemplify and maximize why I’m here. That’s probably the greatest thing that I think is missed in families.

 HONG  KONG  WILLE'S

12212 MORRIS BRIDGE RD

TEMPLE TERRACE FL

Famous Tampa Artist . UPDATED 8/31/2026

Tampa Famous Artist

BY SOHINI LAHIRI
Growing up in Tampa, I spent a period of time fascinated by a quirky, eye-catching landmark at Fletcher Avenue and Interstate 75. 

 

This was also the period of time I spent obsessed with making binoculars out of toilet paper rolls and necklaces out of pop tops. To me, this sight was the epitome of similar creative craziness, and I often found myself looking for it during car journeys, hoping it hadn’t disappeared overnight.
But time passes and so does the urge for pop-top necklaces, and observant eyes don’t notice the same sights. It wasn’t until recently that I once again took note of the scene, with its broken down orange helicopter, a tree made of what seems to be indestructible balloons and a blue-and-white house covered with trash remade into art.
It’s the home of Famous  Florida Artist Hong Kong Willie.
I finally paid a visit to this art gallery after many years of wondering about the story behind it. The pavement leading to the door is painted with handprints and splatters, the store edged with upside down Coke bottles. Streams of lobster buoys hang from the roof and also make up the “tree” I marveled at so often from my car window.
Various shoes, bottles, clocks and signs are glued to the side of the store, and there’s a tribute to Sept. 11 off to the side. No one seemed to be home, so I called the number on the “WE’RE OPEN” sign, which brought a middle-aged man in a bright Hawaiian shirt from behind the store.
After a few basic questions, Joe Brown begins to open up about the history surrounding his art.
Brown, better known as Hong Kong Willie, says he was an artist from the start. “Everyone is born an artist,” he said. “However some are granted the gift of being able to express that art.”
As a young boy, his mother decided to send him to art school, which he says changed the course of his life forever.
At the age of 8, Brown recalls being heavily influenced by the lessons, which included transforming a Gerber baby bottle, something with no real value, into a piece of art. His teacher had spent an enormous amount of time and effort in Hiroshima, Japan, helping those affected by the atomic bombs. Brown learned many lessons about recycling from this teacher, who had come from Hong Kong. Brown added an American name, Willie, to Hong Kong for his nickname Hong Kong Willie.
While Brown grew up to be an artist, he left the world of mainstream art to return to his background in technology.
“But on Nov. 13th, 1981 … on a Friday at 1:30 in the afternoon, I had an epiphany,” Brown says. “I was at a friend’s house right across the street,” pausing to point at a row of apartments across from his store, “and a series of events led me to rejoin the art world.”
With the help of two other artists, Brown set up his business in the Florida Keys in the early 1980s, then moved it to Tampa. Together, they believed that they were predestined for the Green Movement, and have been making art out of recyclables for close to 30 years.
How’s business? He smiles. “It’s pretty wild.”
Inside, Hong Kong Willie’s art includes glossy pieces of driftwood restored and painted with beautiful landscapes and kernels of truth, some of the gorgeous work priced in the six figures. But there’s also a wide collection of handmade bags, wooden sculptures and sassy bracelets for more moderate prices.
A portion of the proceeds go to benefit the Green Movement, Brown says.
With a laid-back swagger, Brown continues. “We live pretty minimally. And all the funds we get from donations and our art sales are delegated to green projects.”
I’m not sure what I was expecting when I decided to visit Hong Kong Willie. Certainly not the breathtaking art inside, and definitely not the history behind it. I’m feeling thick-headed for not visiting years ago, and say so.
Brown offers a last bit of insight:
“I’m a big believer in predestination and timing. If someone is not ready to view art, the door is closed. Every piece of art that is made, and every project we do is done for a reason. It doesn’t matter if that reason shows up the next day, or walks in six years later; every piece of art will find a home.”

 

Exploring the Recycled World of Art . Updated 9/1/2026

Exploring the Recycled World of Art

 

Isha Harshe and Pankti Mehta, Editor-in-Chief
August 9, 2018
Filed under Arts & Entertainment, Features, Showcase

You know you have seen it. Whether you know it as “the Christmas tree” or the “art station,” Hong Kong Willie’s is a spectacular, unique sight.

Seated in the corner of Morris Bridge and I-75,

 

 Hong Kong Willie’s is a gallery where many unique pieces of art are displayed and sold.

Always seeing this place on our way to school, former Editor-in-Chief Pankti Mehta and I had wondered about it for a long time. At the beginning of this summer, we decided to go there and find out.

As we walked into the blue shack, we were greeted by a friendly face. Wearing a blue Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts, and with his hair pulled back into a ponytail, Joe Brown, or more commonly known as Hong Kong Willie, welcomed us and shared with us the story of his life.

Hong Kong Willie is an artist who finds the meaning in what others would deem as “junk” items. His journey began in his childhood when he collected discarded items from the landfill where he lived and sold them.

“By the time I was eight years old, I was walking around with hundreds of dollars in my pockets,” Brown said.

He had never thought he would enter the realm of art, but his mother knew otherwise. She was the one who made him to go to art school.

“My mother believed that if you were born to do something, you were to do that,” he said.

At art school, he met the person who would inspire his nickname. His art teacher explained the importance and meaning behind insignificant, common items to her students. She had gone to Hiroshima shortly after the atomic bomb had been dropped, and then had left out of Hong Kong. Her inspirational story was the reason Brown nicknamed himself Hong Kong Willie.

When he was in college, the technological industry was booming, with many new innovations coming out in different areas of society. Brown decided to step into it. However, after being in the technological industry for a while, Brown went through a realization:

“I just wasn’t made up for that.”

Knowing that the technological world was filled with greed, Brown decided to step out of it in 1981. He knew that his life’s calling was to be artist, and he was going to be just that.

“We are here to tell a story … to take common items that are not manufactured media that have a meaning.”

He set up his station first in the Florida Keys, but then moved to Tampa, where he has now been living for 37 years.

A firm believer in predestination, Brown explains that he got these beliefs from his father.

“My father understood why he was here. And he made that of great importance to his children… My father gave me the understanding of why we were here. And to be determined to find that.”

In today’s fast-paced society, teaching of such life lessons has become rare. People are more motivated to “get famous and get money,” as Brown put it.

“I’m here just to exemplify and maximize why I’m here. That’s probably the greatest thing that I think is missed in families.”

Hong Kong Willie also explained one of his special pieces to us, which was called Miriosity. Shaped like a bird, Brown used the embedded frailties within the wood to bring out the meaning in the piece.

“Many artists don’t produce more than one great, great, great piece. And Miriosity, she just has all of those elements… Miriosity has a great future.”

Hong Kong Willie has supporters who come into his gallery and buy many of his pieces. With the money that he makes, he gives back a large portion to various social projects. His art is not just a business, and he makes that very clear.

“You can only buy a piece of art if you have fallen in love with it,” he said. He recalled a time when he turned down a buyer from buying some of his works because he knew the reason for buying those works was not genuine.

Hong Kong Willie keeps the presence of art alive in today’s society. Wherever his art goes, a piece of him will forever be with each piece. We are very grateful for his time and his dedication to his work.

Visit Hong Kong Willie’s blog here:https://hongkongwillie.blogspot.com/2021/08/famous-key-west-artist.html

Art Station, Hongkongwillie Art Gallery . Updated 9/1/2026

TAMPA, Fla. – Have you ever seen the building on the corner of Fletcher and 75 exit 266 with a bunch of buoys strung everywhere? This small business that many think is an old bait n’ tackle shop is actually Hong Kong Willie, a Famous Art Gallery

 By Tristram DeRoma

Business Profile: The Story Behind the Eye-Catching Art at I-75 Exit 266

Folk artist Joe Brown, better known as "Hong Kong Willie," makes art with a message at his home/studio near I-75's Exit 266.

 

Sometimes, it's the smallest experiences that have the biggest impact on a person's life.
While attending an art class in 1958 at the age of 8, Tampa folk artist Joe Brown recalled being mesmerized by the lesson. It involved transforming a Gerber baby bottle into a piece of art.
"The Gerber bottle had no intrinsic value at all," he said. "But when (the instructor) got through with me that day, she made me see how something so (valueless) can be valuable."
By the time class was over, Brown learned many other lessons, too, such as the importance of volunteerism, recycling, reuse and giving back to the community. He recalled being impressed by the teacher's volunteer work in Hiroshima, Japan, helping atomic bomb survivors.
"One of the last words she ever spoke to me about that was, 'When I left, I left out of Hong Kong,'" he said. After turning that over in his young brain for awhile, he decided to use it in a nickname, adding the name "Willie" a year later.
You've probably seen Hong Kong Willie's eye-catching home/gallery/studio at Fletcher Avenue and Interstate 75.

 

 But what is the story of the man behind all those buoys and discarded objects turned into art?
Brown practiced his creative skills through his younger years. But as an adult, he managed to amass a small fortune working in the materials management industry. By the '80s, he left the business world and decided to concentrate on his art. He spent some years in the Florida Keys honing his craft and building his reputation as a folk artist. He also bought some land in Tampa near Morris Bridge Road and Fletcher Avenue where he and his family still call home.
Brown purchased the land just after the entrances and exits to I-75 were built. He said he was once offered more than $3 million for the land by a restaurant. He turned it down, he said, preferring instead to make part of the property into a studio and gallery for the creations he and his family put together.
And all of it is made of what most people would consider "trash." Pieces of driftwood, burlap bags, doll heads, rope—anything that comes Brown's way becomes part of his vocabulary of expression, and, in turn, becomes something else, which makes a tour of his property somewhat of a visual adventure. What at first seems like a random menagerie of glass, driftwood and pottery suddenly comes together in one's brain to form something completely different. One moment nothing, the next a powerful statement about 9/11.
One Man's Trash ...Trash? There is no such thing, Brown seems to say through his art.
He keeps a blog about his art at http://www.hongkongwillie.org/ .
In his shop, he has fashioned many smaller items out of driftwood, burlap bags and other materials into signs, purses, totes, bird feeder hangars and yard sculptures.
He sells a lot to the regular influx of  parents and students every year who are are at first intrigued by the "buoy tree" and the odd-looking building they see as they take Exit 266 off I-75.

Of course, many people also stop by to buy the smaller pieces of art that he and his family create: purses made of burlap, welcome signs made of driftwood, planters and other items lining the walls of his store.
He's also helped put his mark on the decor of local establishments too, such as , 8448 N. 56th st.
Owner Jimmy Ciaccio said that when it came time to redecorate the restaurant several years ago, there was only one person to call for the assignment, and that was his good friend Brown.
"I've known Joe all my life, and we always had a good chemistry together," Ciaccio said. "He's very creative and fun to be around, and that's how it all came about."
Ciaccio says he still gets compliments all the time for the restaurant's atmosphere he created using the "trash" supplied by Brown. He describes the style as a day at the beach, like a visit to Old Key West.
"They're so inspired, they want to decorate their own homes this way," he said.
It's that kind of testimony that makes Brown feel good, knowing that others, too, are inspired to create instead of throw away when they see his work. He simply lets his work speak for itself.
"Somebody once told me to keep telling the story and they will keep coming," he said, "and they always do."

.

Famous Tampa Artist . Updated 4/27/2026

Tampa Artist Born for this Changing Time in Our World. 

 

HONG  KONG  WILLE'S

12212 MORRIS BRIDGE RD

TEMPLE TERRACE FL

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5DstBzuqGM/

It all started on a Tampa Landfill.

 
   Reuse Became the way of life. To Live a life in the art world and be so blessed to make a social impact. Artists are to give back, talent is to tell a story, to make change. Reuse is a life experience 

It,(was the dump) that had all this media, and a young enterprising mind. Not enough time to capture it all.

 A short moment of time Hong Kong Willie

The first time i can remember, The Florida Keys. The long road , narrow water on both sides. Beach, not to my understanding. Key West, Duval St, only what tourists see, was my first impression. WOW, that would change

 i received a phone call from Al in Ramrod Key, a Florida Key. A Key that is about 27 miles from Key West. Al: a rocker, drummer, out there kind a guy. Al and i met in a funny way. Al living near some small town in Massachusetts also having this cool place in the Florida Keys.
Artist have this draw to the Keys, Why, Well it took this road to discover. Al now living in Ramrod, calling to tell what had happen in the Isle of Ramrod. Not to mention Cat, oh i forgot, Cat is how i met Al.

Al, someone that, well to say what a friend. Some nights sleeping on his pool table. and not far is No Name Pub, well there you go, pub, by any other name spells trouble. Well contrary to your disbelief, what a place of history. This is where it begins.or When its begins.

This once remote Key, NO NAME KEY,NO NAME PUB, remote, to say the
least, pub , when seeing the place, everything you can believe, and more,
just from the appearance. Now no matter what you have heard second
thoughts still occur.. Its still time turn around, not to night. The
Rainbow Trail by Zane Grey, was spoken here, my first exposure to the
days of Zane Grey, oh I'm getting ahead of myself. No Name Pub, a Zayne
Grey second office in the Keys, later to be one of mine. No Name Pub,
the history, the wild west, well, great writers, why they come here, No
Name Pub. Real artist, Real Treasure hunters, Fisherman, and the trade no
one saw, all came. No one made a big deal who came or left.

It was part of the beginning for the art support. A meeting place for the who's who in the world of the Keys.
Egos left a the door.
Appreciating that you did not get lost in that world .
Artist that had made it and willing to give you support. .
This was a place that I will always remember for the time I sharpen my artist skills..

 Hongkongwillie Art
MYSTERIOSITY   .

 Many artists don’t produce more than one great, great, great piece. And Miriosity, she just has all of those elements… Miriosity has a great future.”

Miriosity To A Good Home

 $176,000

 “Somebody once told me to keep telling the story and they will keep coming,.

 

“My father understood why he was here. And he made that of great importance to his children… My father gave me the understanding of why we were here
And to be determined to find that.”

In today’s fast-paced society, teaching of such life lessons has become rare. People are more motivated to “get famous and get money.

“I’m here just to exemplify and maximize why I’m here. That’s probably the greatest thing that I think is missed in families.

 .

In Tampa, a Wonderful World of Junk,Atlas Obscura . Updated 9/3/2026

Hong Kong Willie is so much more than a roadside attraction.

Hong Kong Willie’s is a cacophony of art and reuse. All photos by Eric Grundhauser

The domain of Hong Kong Willie covers an odd corner just off of a busy Tampa, Florida, highway. Nestled on a stretch of road largely populated by drab hotels, the clutch of brightly colored shacks that make up Joe Brown’s artistic empire stand out like a neon lighthouse of creativity.

Brown splits his time between his Tampa outpost and the place where his heart truly seems to lie, Key West. In a bright Hawaiian shirt and shorts that show arms and legs regularly baked by the Florida sun, his look might accurately be described as something like a modern island pirate.

Nearly every inch of space on Hong Kong Willie’s lot is home to some piece of art, decorated piece of detritus, or other found object. The walls are covered in old buoys, each node painted with a unique design. Under an old chair lies a pile of clip-on pagers. In the corner of the yard is a skeletal helicopter, covered with string lights; next to that towers what looks like a colossal Christmas tree made of those same lobster buoys. Even the asphalt driveway is covered in splatters of bright paint, so that it looks better on Google Earth, according to Brown. “Everything is precious,” he says, summing up the ethos of reuse, reinvention, and imagination his unique roadside attraction embodies.

All junk is precious.

If Hong Kong Willie, a moniker Brown himself sometimes takes on, sounds like like the lovechild of an art gallery and a great use of Media. Brown, who says he was “born an artist,” has been shaped by both creativity and junk since an early age. Now in his 60s, Brown says his father once donated a chunk of their family’s land to Hillsborough County so that it could be used as a much-needed landfill, but was never compensated or acknowledged for the gift. Still, Brown grew up exploring the landfill, scavenging for treasures. Surrounded by what most people consider junk, he developed a special appreciation for things that get thrown away.

At the age of eight, Brown took an art class where his teacher shared that she had spent a lot of time volunteering in Hiroshima. Learning that there was a strong local tradition in Hiroshima of turning tossed off items into art, this too had an impact on Brown. This same teacher later told him that she had left Asia out of Hong Kong, and this little factoid apparently led to his adoption of the name Hong Kong Willie. She also passed on a passion for art. Brown would eventually start a career in the technology industry, but since then he’s returned to his artistic roots.

Hong Kong Willie’s main shack.

Perched on top of one of the small structures on Brown’s land are large, reused letters that say “art station,” but this place really couldn’t be mistaken for anything else. When Brown first established the Hong Kong Willie site, he says there was a collective of five artists working on the project, but now the living gallery is run and supplied only by him and his wife, Kim. Inside the art station, the space is bursting. One of Hong Kong Willie’s signature items are rugged pieces of locally sourced scrap wood and boards that Kim adorns with colorful painted works. There are birds, beach scenes, abstract shapes, and other designs that look unmistakably Floridian.