Thirty-six Views of Lion Rock - Romain Jacquet Lagreze's Portfolio

Sunrise Illuminating the Lion Rock, Hong Kong, 2021.
Limited edition print available

I remember being captivated by the Lion Rock from the moment I arrived. My first impulse was to go check it out and climb its hiking trail that leads to its peak. I remember vividly how I was taken aback by the view of Kowloon from the summit. The Lion Rock has since become a regular pilgrimage to me, and an essential place to take friends along who come visit me in Hong Kong.

Throughout the years, I regularly visit my in-laws for birthday dinners and traditional Chinese celebrations. Many of these gatherings take place in Wong Tai Sin where the grandparents live. Each time we would get out of the MTR station and pass Lung Cheung Road when heading towards the banquet restaurant. I could not help but see the imposing vision of the crouching lion atop the mountain, quietly watching over the city. This view left such a strong imprint on me, I made a mental note to bring my camera and try to capture that feeling.

The idea of photographing the Lion Rock from different angles grew slowly. When I lived in Japan, I became fascinated by Japanese arts and culture. I was especially inspired by the woodblock prints of Hokusai. Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji is probably the most iconic and popular body of works about a mountain ever made. Even people who never set foot in Japan might have an impression of Mount Fuji and its surroundings, or even dreamed of its sharp snow-covered peak because of seeing Hokusai’s prints. The body of work produced around 1830 is simple in notion, yet manages to transcend time and culture, making its mark on the greater chronicle of human expression. Few have done so much for one mountain.

Hokusai’s famous collection depicts landscapes, sea-scapes, village scenes and acts of ordinary life in the foreground, with the mountain towering or peeking through in the background. It is in this manner, through his use of composition, that Mount Fuji becomes the unifying force between all the thirty-six scenes, set in different locations, weather conditions and seasons of the year. This concept inspired this new series on the Lion Rock, which I hope will make you see Hong Kong in the same way that it so deeply resonates in me.

Bather in Lei Yue Mun, Hong Kong, 2020.
Limited edition print available

Doves in the Phoenix Tree, Hong Kong, 2020.
Limited edition print available

Flower Market, Hong Kong, 2020.
Limited edition print available

Contemplative Gardener, Hong Kong, 2020.
Limited edition print available

Glowing Pier, Hong Kong, 2020.
Limited edition print available

Youth Vibrancy, Hong Kong, 2020.
Limited edition print available

Shek Kip Mei Street, Hong Kong, 2020.
Limited edition print available

Crouching Lion Watching over the City, Hong Kong, 2021.
Limited edition print available

Junk and Lion, Hong Kong, 2020.
Limited edition print available

Lion Behind the Wall, Hong Kong, 2021.
Limited edition print available

Under the Scorching Sun, Hong Kong, 2020.
Limited edition print available

Hikers in the Highlands, Hong Kong, 2021.
Limited edition print available

Above the Clouds, Hong Kong, 2021.
Limited edition print available

Thirty-six Views of Lion Rock, the coffee table book published by Blue Lotus Edition, 2022.
Hardcover, 64 pages, 270mm (H) x 220mm (W), Available here