Greg Girard: HK UNSEEN

EVENT DESCRIPTION

The 1980s are widely considered Hong Kong’s “Golden Age”, the decade when the city came into its own, seemingly full of promise and infinite possibilities. A young Greg Girard, growing up in Vancouver, was deeply struck by a 1962 photograph of Hong Kong harbour, by Eliot Elisofon, and he made it his life’s mission to get here and see it for himself.

He first arrived by boat in 1974 and in 1982 decided to settle down in this bustling city. Drawn by Hong Kong’s dynamic blend of east and west, Girard spent the 1980s roaming its streets, capturing Hong Kong as he saw it, especially at night, raw and very much alive. This key period helped Girard define his path as a photographer and artist.

Blue Lotus Gallery proudly presents HK UNSEEN, photographs by the iconic artist that have never been exhibited before.

ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER

Greg Girard is a well respected Canadian photographer, whose work has examined the social and physical transformations in Asia's largest cities for over 30 years. He is the co-author with Ian Lambot of the seminal book ‘City of Darkness: Life in Kowloon Walled City’, the definitive record of Hong Kong’s infamous Kowloon Walled City, and its updated re-release ‘City of Darkness Revisited’.

To date he has published 7 books in addition to the above cult classics, such as ‘HK:PM' and ‘Tokyo-Yokosuka 1976-1983’. Magenta’s Phantom Shanghai, now in its 3rd edition of printing and listed as one of the top 10 photography books of all time by The Independent, (UK). Greg Girard’s photos have been featured in National Geographic, TIME, Newsweek, The New Yorker, The National Post, The Star, and numerous other publications. Girard’s work has been exhibited at the International Centre for Photography (New York), PM Gallery (London, UK), the National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa), the Yixian International Photo Festival (China), and numerous other venues.