In the 1980s, the narrow, crowded alleyways of Shinjuku’s Golden Gai were the boisterous gathering place for some of Japan's most influential photographers. Within its tiny bars, a young Koji Onaka sat amidst legendary names like Daido Moriyama and Nobuyoshi Araki as they chatted, laughed, and at times, argued deep into the night. It was a formative, restless era that helped shape Onaka's photographic voice. Yet, as he began to carve his own path, he moved away from the raw, confrontational angst of his mentors, turning his lens toward something more elusive: the scent of a hometown, the slant of light on a weathered tin roof, and the quiet "distance" between the present moment and a fading memory.

As 2025 draws to a close, we look back on a year of exploration and reflection at Blue Lotus Gallery, tracing exhibitions that explored Hong Kong’s evolving identity while deepening our engagement with Japan’s meditative landscapes and spiritual traditions.

Across past and present exhibitions, Blue Lotus Gallery has explored this meditative terrain of Japan through the eyes of Michael Kenna, Yasuhiro Ogawa, and Ulana Switucha, artists united by a shared sensitivity to the spaces where nature and spirit meet.

Ulana Switucha
TORII

at blue lotus gallery
15 November - 14 December 2025

French photographer Romain Jacquet-Lagrèze, long inspired by Hong Kong’s streets and skyline, reflects on the city he called home for sixteen years, the work it inspired and how it shaped him personally and artistically.

As his project HK:PM lights up the M+ Facade, Greg Girard reflects on his years in the city, its transformation, and what it means to see his photographs reimagined in this unique new context.