Z-axis (2014–16)
Artist’s statement/ note
Hong Kong is situated on hilly and mountainous terrain. Owing to the scarcity of natural flat land, the city lacks the prerequisites for a grid system—a town-planning method common to many other world cities. According to the Hong Kong Planning Department, approximately 47% of the territory lies above 100 mPD.* Nearly half of Hong Kong is therefore built on uplands, resulting in what is commonly described as a multi-level urban design.
This series represents my attempt to document the multi-level urban design shaped by Hong Kong’s distinctive topography. In mathematical terms, the Z-axis refers to depth within a three-dimensional coordinate system. By examining the Hong Kong urban landscape along the Z-axis, I sought to explore how topography influences patterns of habitation and to what extent the land has been reshaped in efforts to adapt to the natural environment.
*mPD refers to metres above Principal Datum, i.e., 1.23 m below mean sea level in Hong Kong.