Hong Kong was once a barren and desolate environment. The British colonial government undertook large-scale afforestation and introduced foreign tree species planted in British-style gardens, nurturing a sense of nostalgia for the expat population.

The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens is a key example of this practice, and is the inspiration for Frank Tang’s ‘Tree Portrait #4 – Lysidice’, which is based on the Lysidice tree in the garden. Lysidice is originally a foreign tree species and there are only a very few in existence in HK. Its botanical name is Lysidice rhodostegia.

Tang has incorporated the concept of time into his new series Tree Portaits. The tree is seen against sunrise.