HK UNSEEN
by Greg Girard
a photography exhibition with so far unpublished work
exploring Hong Kong
in the 80’s as captured by Greg Girard
Greg Girard, Kai Tak Airport runway and Kwun Tong breakwater, Hong Kong 1988, Courtesy of Blue Lotus Gallery
Exhibition Dates: 11 November – 12 December 2021
Preview: Wednesday 10 November, 4–8 pm
展覽日期：2021年11月11日－12月12日
預覽日期：星期三 11月10日，下午4－8時
Venue: Blue Lotus Gallery, 28 Pound Lane, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Opening hours: Wed–Sun, 11am–6pm , closed on public holidays
地點: Blue Lotus Gallery, 香港上環磅巷28號地下
開放時間: 星期三至日, 上午11時－下午6時 (公眾假期休息）
Related events:
Zoom Artist Talk with Greg Girard
Saturday 27 November 2021, 11am: Meet at the gallery or log in online
Greg Girard 藝術家分享會：11月27日 (星期六) 上午11時，於畫廊內或於Zoom網上登入
Greg Girard, Golden Lion Bar, Wanchai, Hong Kong 1974, Courtesy of Blue Lotus Gallery
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 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.
HK UNSEEN is Satellite Exhibition of HKIPF 2021
我們誠邀您參加一趟重遊八十年代香港的旅程，重溫那段醉人的時光，那個一切皆有可能發生的年代。故事始於加拿大一位年少十八的青年 Greg Girard，被美國攝影師 Eliot Elisofon 於 1962 年拍下香港海港的照片為之動容，促使他於 1974 年初訪香港，後於 1982 年在此定居。被中西合壁的文化所吸引，Girard 於整個八十年代穿梭香港的不同大街小巷，懷著一份純粹拍攝他所居住的繁華城市。這段期間的創作為 Girard 的攝影生涯奠下基石，及後成為了國際知名的攝影藝術家。Blue Lotus Gallery 很榮幸舉辦《HK UNSEEN》展覽，為 Greg Girard 的廣大追棒者帶來從未曝光的香港系列。
Greg Girard
About the Artist:
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.
關於藝術家：
Greg Girard（格雷格·吉拉德）是知名加拿大攝影師，作品主要探討亞洲大城市在三十多年間的社會和實體變化。他與Ian Lambot（林保賢）共同撰寫了正式記錄香港九龍城寨的著作《黑暗之城：九龍城寨的日與夜》。迄今為止，除上述經典著作外，他還出版了七本攝影集，包括《HK:PM》、《 Tokyo-Yokosuka 1976-1983》、以及經已出版第三版，由小說家 威廉‧吉布森（William Gibson）寫序，並被英國《獨立報》評為有史以來十大攝影書籍之一的《Phantom Shanghai》（Magenta, Toronto, 2007）。他作品獲加拿大國立美術館、安大略美術館、溫哥華美術館收藏，還見於其他公共和私人藏品之中。
