Yau earned a Higher Diploma in Graphic Information Design from the Hong Kong Design Institute in 2009, and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Design from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2012, and it was then that he became interested in illustration and publishing. In 2010, he co-founded the design art collective Dirty Paper with a fellow student from the HKDI, showing their illustrations in solo and group exhibitions.

In 2018, Yau set up Rest and Tattoo, his own tattoo studio. For Yau tattooing goes with internal self-healing and brings people together. Instead of following the body's natural curves Yau's unconventional tattoos are straight tattoo strips adorned with graphic shapes. His "Loss of the Beloved" series explores a client’s experiences of losing loved ones. Another series titled "The Expression of Self-Identity" was a three-year project, documenting the growth and self-discovery of a client. 

Frequently inspired by the various fractured relationships between himself and the surroundings, his work connects the symbols of ancient myths, historical events and everyday objects, and dilutes varying connections between the objects and himself while constantly carving and smoothing out the traces on his works, a sense of calm and uneasy detachment are usually displayed in the forms of paintings, moving images and installations. His notable exhibitions include A Kindred Spirit (SomoS Arts, Berlin, 2025), The Salon by NADA & The Community (Paris, 2024), Blackout Momentum (Current Plans, Hong Kong, 2024), Made in Hong Kong (Art Central, Hong Kong, 2022), The Sunshine Is Still There (SC Gallery, Hong Kong, 2022), Let’s Try Catching Steam with Bare Hands (Gallery Exit, Hong Kong, 2021).