Photographer
Greg Girard
Canadian photographer known for documenting urban transformation in Asia.
Selected Works & Key Projects
A source-backed introduction to individual photographs and significant bodies of work.
Key projects
Project · 1986–1992
City of Darkness Revisited
City of Darkness Revisited is an expanded 2014 publication co-authored by photographer Greg Girard and writer Ian Lambot, based on their extensive documentation of Kowloon Walled City from the late 1980s to its demolition. The original 'City of Darkness' (1993) became a landmark in urban photography; the revisited version adds new photographs, oral histories, maps, and essays. The project stands out because of its comprehensive, immersive approach: Girard's color images of interiors and street life are coupled with recorded residents' stories, producing a nuanced account of a place often misrepresented. It remains a key scholarly and visual repository for understanding the enclave's death as well as its vibrant community.
View source ↗Selected photographs
1989 · Hong Kong
Arriving Kai Tak Airport from Beijing in June, Hong Kong
This photograph captures the moment of arrival at Hong Kong's Kai Tak Airport, taken in June 1989. Kai Tak was known for its dramatic approach, with aircraft flying low over Kowloon's tight urban blocks to reach a runway jutting into Victoria Harbour. Girard, who then lived in Hong Kong, observed the scene with his customary neutral, sharply detailed color photography. The image documents a now vanished civic experience: since the airport closed in 1998, no such landing occurs. This work is a testament to Girard's ability to isolate the defining features of a city's infrastructure, using a fleeting everyday moment to reveal larger urban systems.
Work source ↗
1987 · Kowloon Walled City, Hong Kong
Kowloon Walled City—Tung Tau Tsuen Road facade
This photograph shows Tung Tau Tsuen Road's facade within Kowloon Walled City, an enclave under ambiguous jurisdiction until its 1993 demolition. Taken by Greg Girard in 1987, it records the dense, improvised architecture that housed thousands. Girard explored the area over several years, achieving access few other photographers had; his images are a critical historical archive. This composition emphasizes walls, ducts, and windows, revealing vertical growth without plan. An inkjet print from 2015 is held by M+, confirming its dual importance as document and art.
Work source ↗
1989 · Kowloon Walled City, Hong Kong
Kowloon Walled City—Children on Rooftop
This 1989 photograph shows children on a rooftop within Kowloon Walled City. Girard spent years documenting the enclave’s interiors and spaces. Here he turns his lens to a private rooftop, where children play amidst water tanks and concrete structures. The image is significant because it counters the prevailing stereotype of the walled city as solely lawless and dangerous. It reveals a residential community where families lived, raised children, and inhabited the void between tall buildings. The picture forms part of Girard’s largest series; an inkjet print made in 2015 is in the M+ collection. It stands out for its balance of documentary content and human empathy.
Work source ↗
1976 · Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Japan
Ikebukuro Subway Station
Photographed in 1976, this image shows the interior of Ikebukuro Subway Station in Tokyo, a major transit hub. Greg Girard, who then lived in Japan, used color film to capture the flow of commuters and the artificial light of the underground environment. The work predates his later Hong Kong documentation, yet already shows his ongoing interest in the ways people occupy industrialized urban settings. Set against the anonymity of rush hour, the photograph reveals Girard’s formal precision—lining up architecture, signage, and figures in balanced frames. While less well-known than his Hong Kong series, this print is an early marker of his distinctive color documentary style and offers insight into his development.
Work source ↗-
1974
Career milestone
First visit to Hong Kong
Girard first visited Hong Kong in 1974; the city became central to his subsequent photographic work.
Source: Greg Girard Verified Sep 3, 2026
-
1982–1998
Career milestone
Based in Hong Kong
Girard moved to Hong Kong in 1982 and remained based there until 1998.
Source: Blue Lotus Gallery Verified Sep 3, 2026
-
1993
Photobook
City of Darkness: Life in Kowloon Walled City
The book City of Darkness: Life in Kowloon Walled City, made with Ian Lambot, was published by Watermark.
Source: Greg Girard Verified Sep 3, 2026
-
1998–2011
Career milestone
Based in Shanghai
Girard was based in Shanghai from 1998 to 2011, a period underlying Phantom Shanghai.
Source: Greg Girard Verified Sep 3, 2026
-
2007
Photobook
Phantom Shanghai published
Magenta published Phantom Shanghai, with a foreword by William Gibson.
Source: Greg Girard Verified Sep 3, 2026
-
2012
Exhibition
Half the Surface of the World at ICP
The International Center of Photography in New York featured Half the Surface of the World, Girard’s survey of US military bases and host communities in Asia.
Source: Greg Girard Verified Sep 3, 2026
-
2014
Photobook
City of Darkness Revisited published
Girard and Ian Lambot published an updated and expanded return to their 1993 Kowloon Walled City book.
Source: Greg Girard Verified Sep 3, 2026
-
10 July–25 October 2026
Exhibition
Greg Girard at The Polygon Gallery
The Polygon Gallery mounted Girard’s first major institutional career survey, including photographs made from 1972 to 2026.
Source: The Polygon Gallery Verified Sep 3, 2026
Collection
National Gallery of Canada
Girard’s work is listed as being in the collection of the National Gallery of Canada.
Verified 2026-09-03Greg Girard
Collection
Art Gallery of Ontario
Girard’s work is listed as being in the collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Verified 2026-09-03Greg Girard
Collection
Vancouver Art Gallery
Girard’s work is listed as being in the collection of the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Verified 2026-09-03Greg Girard
Collection
M+, Hong Kong
M+ lists four Greg Girard collection objects online and identifies Kowloon Walled City photographs by Girard in its collection.
Verified 2026-09-03M+
Representation
Monte Clark Gallery
Girard’s official site lists Monte Clark Gallery in Vancouver as representation.
Verified 2026-09-03Greg Girard
Representation
Blue Lotus Gallery
Girard’s official site lists Blue Lotus Gallery in Hong Kong as representation.
Verified 2026-09-03Greg Girard
Representation
Kominek Gallery
Girard’s official site lists Kominek Gallery in Berlin as representation.
Verified 2026-09-03Greg Girard
The Polygon Gallery Presents Greg Girard’s First Career Survey (opens a new site)
Announcement of Girard’s first major institutional survey at The Polygon Gallery, presenting more than 160 photographs made between 1972 and 2026 and accompanied by a new publication.
Accidental Encounters: Greg Girard’s Hong Kong (opens a new site)
M+ interview in which Girard discusses Hong Kong’s role in his career, his night photography, magazine work, Kowloon Walled City photographs, and the HK:PM Facade commission.
City of Innocence (opens a new site)
An M+ essay centred on Girard’s Kowloon Walled City photographs, especially Children on Rooftop, and on his five-year documentation with Ian Lambot.
Greg Girard’s ‘HK:PM’ on the M+ Facade, Hong Kong (opens a new site)
A video linked by M+ in connection with Girard’s 2025 HK:PM commission for the M+ Facade.
COMMUNITY DISCUSSION
Discuss this entry
Share interpretations, reading notes, and source-aware questions. For catalog corrections, use the feedback form below.
No discussion yet. Start the first focused conversation.
Sign in to join the discussion.
Optionally receive a digest when related photobooks are added to the catalog.
See something incorrect? Sign in to suggest a correction or report an issue.