Tampa Reuse Artist . Updated 9/5/2026

 

Yes, art by the Florida-based "Hong Kong Willie" is becoming increasingly collectable.

Miriosity To A Good Home
$976,000
 

 Hongkongwillie's  unique style of "reuse art," which uses salvaged materials from older buildings to create vibrant, themed images, is gaining recognition and interest from collectors. 

 Why it's collectable: Uniqueness: 

 Hong Kong Willie's art is distinctive, using materials not typically found in traditional art. Growing Recognition: 

Hongkongwillie's  work has been exhibited in galleries and is featured in social media, building a following and generating interest. Limited Supply: As a local artist, Hongkongwillie's  output might be more limited compared to established, mass-produced art, potentially increasing the value of individual pieces. 

Appreciation for Reuse Art: There's a growing appreciation for art that repurposes and highlights materials from older structures, contributing to a wider collector base. Community Involvement: 

Hongkongwillie's  work is often featured in local community events and organizations, increasing visibility and further attracting collectors. 

 How to find out more: Social Media: 

 Follow Hong Kong Willie and his wife Kim Brown on Facebook to see their latest work and updates. Local Galleries: 

 

Hongkongwillie's  only  exhibitions featuring Hong Kong Willie's art is at the Hongkongwillie Gallery.

 

 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.

    Growing Recognition:

 His work has been exhibited in galleries 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 Major portion of sales to social projects adds another layer of appeal for potential collectors. 

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

 

 

 

 

 As stated he will not be taking any money with him when he dies. His art is not just a business, and we make that very clear.

Famous Reuse Artist .Updated 7/29/2026

Tampa Art Galleries 

It,(was the dump) that had all this 

media, and a

young enterprising mind. 

Not enough time to 

capture it all.

Google Hongkongwillie

Call us Today, We are Here, 

Ask for 

Hong Kong Willie.              813 770 4794

FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE
S.L. GIMBEL FOUNDATION.
IN THIS EDITION OF "WEDU ARTS PLUS,Hongkongwillie

Famous Reuse Artist. raised on Tampa city dump,like living in the Penthouse in the upper east side.

Blue Marlin Dream of Key West.

$525,000  Hong Kong Willie Art

Gunn Highway Landfill

The Gunn Highway Landfill is located

off Gunn Highway in Tampa, Hillsborough

County, Florida. The county operated the landfill

 as a trench-type facility for the disposal

of MSW from 1958 to 1962.

Famous Reuse Artist.
Famed, by the humble statements from the Key West Citizen, viable art from reuse has found its time. 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  

MYSTERIOSITY 
Famous Reuse Artist. HONG KONG WILLIE ART

 



$976,000 U.S. Dollars
  Hong Kong Willie Gallery

John 3:16

King James Version (KJV)

 ¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

FOX World News   Famous Reuse Artist.

Recycling as a Lifestyle and a Business
By:
Chris Futrell, Florida Focus

TAMPA, Fla. – Have you ever seen the building on the corner of Fletcher and I-75 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.

Derek Brown, 26, and his family own and operate Hong Kong Willie. The little shop specializes in preservation art. The artists don’t take preservation too lightly either.

“99 percent of everything that has gone into a piece of art has been recycled and reused,” Brown said.

Just as unique as the art is, so is the company’s name. Brown says the name was created by his father, Joe Brown, in the 1950s.

“My father being in an art class, being affected by a teacher, they were melting Gerber baby food bottles," Brown said. "The teacher interjected that Hong Kong had a great reuse and recycling program even then.”

Brown's father then took that concept and later added the Americanized name Willie to the end. And that's how Hong Kong Willie was born as a location that offers recycling in a different and creative way.

Hong Kong Willie artists are what are known as freegans. Freegans are less concerned with materialistic things and more concerned about reducing consumption to lessen the footprint humans leave on this planet.

“I’m sure everyone has their own perception of a freegan, possibly jumping into a dumpster or picking up something on the side of the road,” Brown said. “There [are] people who will have excess. There [are] also things that can be trash to one man, but art or a prize to another man.”

Brown and his family carry this practice through to their art. It’s his family’s way of life, turning trash, which would otherwise fill up landfills, into an art form.

The Brown family gets a lot of their inspiration for their art from the Florida Keys. In fact, this is where the deluge of buoys wrapping around the ‘Buoys Tree’ came from, the fishermen of Key West.

“It is Styrofoam, we understand that it does not degrade, but to blame the fishermen for their livelihood wouldn’t be correct, instead we find a usage for those,” Brown said.

Brown said there’s a usage for everything, even the hooks to hold the painted driftwood, which are also salvaged, to the wall are old bent forks. Everything’s reused here. Purses made out of old coffee bean sacks to “kitschy,” as Brown described it, jewelry made from old baseballs.

“Hong Kong Willie truly believes that a piece, whether it’s a bag or a painted artwork, it’s meant for one person.”
 FOX News Reuse artist

Watching the Paint ,a Great exploding of Colors from the truck hit the pit. What a memory. Was this the beginnings of Green for i.

Black Bird of Key Largo

Tampa Art Galleries Hong Kong Willie Art Gallery
$198,000.00 USD

“Black Bird of Key Largo”

The allurement of the winds blowing in the palm trees and the moon shining through and the “Black Bird of Key Largo” looking upon.
Hong Kong Willie
**HONG KONG WILLIE artist Kim Brown, chose aged Florida sawmill stock as canvas. Recovered Brass Hanger: Key West lobster trap rigging. Originally connects and suspends rigging of spiny lobster traps in Key West waters. Candy-like appearance due to multiple protective layers. Assigned number in artist register by Fisherman ID tag, corresponding burn-etched # rear of piece. Key recovered by Robert Jordan, acclaimed treasure hunter: also in identification of piece and artist.
*Prior to shipping, final coating will be applied to each piece.
Dimensions:
24″ L
8″ W
4″ H
Weight: 17+ LB

Artist Who Reuse . Updated 9 / 29 / 2025

Artist Who Reuse,Hong Kong Willie Art Galleries

Interstate 75 Exit 266 Tampa, Florida,Interstate 75 and Fletcher Tampa Florida.

TAMPA, Fla. – Have you ever seen the building on the corner of Fletcher and I-75??

 

 
Artist Born for this time, Lived on a landfill as a child. 

Watching the Paint ,a Great exploding of Colors from the truck hit the pit. What a memory. Was this the beginnings of Green for i.

Reuse Became the way of life. To read the story from the inception of the Name Hong Kong Willie. Famed, by the humble statements form the Key West Citizen, viable art from reuse has found its time. 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. To think now of the past and the story of Hong Kong Willie, Why i have to say it was for a reason.
Hong Kong Willie Art Gallery In Tampa, a reuse Art Gallery. Artist Kim,Derek,and Joseph. reuse artist that have lived the life and are meant for the green movement in the world. A gallery that was born for this time. Artist living a freegan life,art that makes a social statement of reuse. Media that has a profound effect in making the word green truly a movement of reuse in the world today and the future.


MY FOX TAMPA BAY Tampa Art Gallery

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

Black Bird of Key Largo Tampa Art Galleries Hong Kong Willie Art Gallery $98,000.00 USD
“Black Bird of Key Largo” To Buy Now click this link www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23489576 The allurement of the winds blowing in the palm trees and the moon shining through and the “Black Bird of Key Largo” looking upon. Hong Kong Willie **HONG KONG WILLIE artist Kim Brown, chose aged Florida sawmill stock as canvas. Recovered Brass Hanger: Key West lobster trap rigging. Originally connects and suspends rigging of spiny lobster traps in Key West waters. Candy-like appearance due to multiple protective layers. Assigned number in artist register by Fisherman ID tag, corresponding burn-etched # rear of piece. Key recovered by Robert Jordan, acclaimed treasure hunter: also in identification of piece and artist. *Prior to shipping, final coating will be applied to each piece. Dimensions: 24″ L 8″ W 4″ H Weight: 17+ LB Green Art For Sale Dorado The Dolphin – Original Hong Kong Wilie Art – Key West Dorado The Dolphin – Original Hong Kong Wilie Art – Key West $1,600.00 USD BUY NOW IF YOU PLEASE CLINKwww.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_2&listing_… Smugglers Cove – Original Preservation Art – Hong Kong Willie Key West Art $250.00 USD BUY NOW IF YOU PLEASE CLINK ON OUR ETSY SITEwww.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_1&listing_… Smugglers Cove – Original Preservation Art – Hong Kong Willie Key West Art Indian Dreams – Hong Kong Willie – Original Art $400.00 USD BUY NOW IF YOU PLEASE CLINK ON OUR ETSY SITE www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28584622 Indian Dreams – Hong Kong Willie – Original Art

twitpic.com/f7qq3 twitter.com/hongkongwillie
www.craftstylish.com/item/51637/hong-kong-willie-on-fox-news
hong-kong-willie-blog.blogspot.com/
www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6006857

hongkongwillieblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/art-galleries-tam...
hongkongwillieblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/tampa-art-galleri...
hongkongwillie.blogspot.com/2009/10/tampa-artgalleries-ho...
hongkongwillie.blogspot.com/2009/10/tampa-art-gallerygall...
apreservationist.blogspot.com/2009/10/tampaartistgallerya...

maps.google.com/maps?q=hong+kong+willie&oe=utf-8&...
www.google.com/search?q=hong+kong+willie&oe=utf-8&amp...


USF INTERVIEW Tampa Art Gallery




Recycling as a Lifestyle and a Business
By:
Chris Futrell, Florida Focus

TAMPA, Fla. – Have you ever seen the building on the corner of Fletcher and I-75 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.

Derek Brown, 26, and his family own and operate Hong Kong Willie. The little shop specializes in preservation art. The artists don’t take preservation too lightly either.

“99 percent of everything that has gone into a piece of art has been recycled and reused,” Brown said.

Just as unique as the art is, so is the company’s name. Brown says the name was created by his father, Joe Brown, in the 1950s.

“My father being in an art class, being affected by a teacher, they were melting Gerber baby food bottles," Brown said. "The teacher interjected that Hong Kong had a great reuse and recycling program even then.”

Brown's father then took that concept and later added the Americanized name Willie to the end. And that's how Hong Kong Willie was born as a location that offers recycling in a different and creative way.

Hong Kong Willie artists are what are known as freegans. Freegans are less concerned with materialistic things and more concerned about reducing consumption to lessen the footprint humans leave on this planet.

“I’m sure everyone has their own perception of a freegan, possibly jumping into a dumpster or picking up something on the side of the road,” Brown said. “There [are] people who will have excess. There [are] also things that can be trash to one man, but art or a prize to another man.”

Brown and his family carry this practice through to their art. It’s his family’s way of life, turning trash, which would otherwise fill up landfills, into an art form.

The Brown family gets a lot of their inspiration for their art from the Florida Keys. In fact, this is where the deluge of buoys wrapping around the ‘Buoys Tree’ came from, the fishermen of Key West.

“It is Styrofoam, we understand that it does not degrade, but to blame the fishermen for their livelihood wouldn’t be correct, instead we find a usage for those,” Brown said.

Brown said there’s a usage for everything, even the hooks to hold the painted driftwood, which are also salvaged, to the wall are old bent forks. Everything’s reused here. Purses made out of old coffee bean sacks to “kitschy,” as Brown described it, jewelry made from old baseballs.

“Hong Kong Willie truly believes that a piece, whether it’s a bag or a painted artwork, it’s meant for one person.”

WEIRD, WILD, VIRAL, FAMOUS, Tampa Art Gallery



Hong Kong Willie. The name of the artist. In 1958 his mother took Hong Kong Willie to an art class. The name started then. An art teacher when doing crafts out of Gerber baby bottles, made a statement, in Hong Kong reuse was common. At that time he thought this was very interesting. His father had low-land, at that time landfills were common also. The county had told Hong Kong Willie’s father, it was safe, but as we now know this was not so. Something can come from bad to be good. Hong Kong Willie the name came from that art teacher impressing on that young mind that objects made for one use could be for many other uses. Hong Kong for the neat concept. Willie for an American name. So for many years Hong Kong Willie had a life of reuse. Hong Kong Willie saw forms in a different light, His life now was meaningful, knowing this was and would be his life. Art made from found objects, making less of a footprint on this world. Art and art teachers, HOW IMPORTANT. For the ones that have, and the ones who have not. Media can be found. Now 50 years later, we know now being green is important. We need to look at this very carefully. Our children and our world need a different understanding. Objects can be used in many different ways. Hong Kong Willie the tons of objects in his life that have been used, without much change, So for that art teacher what she did for my life. Thank You. I still have the Gerber baby bottle till this day. Hong Kong Willie.

Google Hong Kong Willie. Look for Hong Kong Willie on Baidu,Yahoo, Dogpile,And Bing

COOL HIPPIE ARTIST, LIVING GREEN

Artist Born for this time, Lived on a landfill as a child. Reuse Became the way of life. To read the story from the inception of the Name Hong Kong Willie. Famed, by the humble statements from the Key West Citizen, viable art from reuse has found its time. 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.
Hong Kong Willie Art Gallery In Tampa, a reuse Art Gallery. Artist Kim,Derek,and Joseph. reuse artist that have lived the life and are meant for the green movement in the world. A gallery that was born for this time. Artist living a freegan life,art that makes a social statement of reuse. Media that has a profound effect in making the word green truly a movement of reuse in the world today and the future.

Tampa Art Gallery USF 香港威利