It was during his first visit to Hong Kong in 1994 that photographer Peter Steinhauer encountered his first bamboo-encased building. Bamboo scaffolding is a common practice in Asian construction; the entire building is also usually covered by large swathes of mesh material, usually colored, in an attempt to hide its unsightliness from the skyline. It’s a common sight… if you’re Asian. But Steinhauer, just fresh off the plane and finding himself in a new world, was fascinated by it.
Over the years, he documented a sizeable amount of images of these buildings under construction in Hong Kong. Today, his photographs are presented in the collectible book Cocoons, published by powerHouse Books and featuring 100 beautiful and monumental edifices, their colors bright against the urban, ever-changing landscape of Hong Kong. Its title is a natural choice for this body of work celebrating the giant, wrapped, cocoon-like structures, later to be unveiled ceremoniously to reveal brand-new facades.
An award-winning photographer who has lived in Asia for 20 years, Steinhauer is represented by leading international galleries and has had his work presented in various exhibitions worldwide. He is currently based in San Francisco. Purchase Cocoons here, and see more of his work on his website.
Images © From Cocoons by Peter Steinhauer, published by powerHouse Books / with permission