Greg Girard

The Polygon Gallery presents the first major survey of Greg Girard, one of Canada’s most influential contemporary photographers, from July 10–Oct. 25, 2026. The exhibition presents more than 160 photographs spanning the past half century, including never-before-seen outtakes from his iconic photobooks, and traces his evolution as an artist. The show unfolds chronologically beginning with some of the earliest images Girard took as a teenager in 1970s Vancouver. The exhibition then follows his footsteps as he traveled down the West Coast and beyond, landing as a freelance journalist in Asia and contributing to publications like Time Magazine where he was oftentimes at the front line of civil unrest and conflict. Followers of Girard’s work will recognize images from the now-demolished Kowloon Walled City and Shanghai — and will discover that in addition to his urban landscapes, he has a mastery of portraiture. The exhibition provides a sense of how he moved through the world, and ends on his most recent photographs as he revisits the subject of the Lower Mainland, with shots of North Vancouver and Surrey included. The exhibition will open simultaneously as the launch of his new publication Greg Girard – Photographs 1972–2026.

Admission to The Polygon Gallery is by donation, courtesy of BMO Financial Group.