Review of Frances Tong’s Jireh – Mountain Breaths
In her evocative new photography exhibition, Jireh–Mountain Breaths [山色山息] Frances Tong presents more than just a collection of landscapes, she offers a visual diary of a spiritual homecoming. For Tong, a Hong Kong native whose journey took her to the United States and through the deep mountains of Japan, photography is not a career or even a choice—it is a calling that “chose her.”
The exhibition is rooted in the concept of “Yir’eh” [jireh], the biblical assurance that “the Lord provides.” This theme of providence is woven into the very fabric of her work, which was captured during some of the most extreme conditions imaginable. From white-out blizzards in Vail, Colorado, to the silent, snow-dusted ridges of Japan, Tong’s images are the result of what she calls “spending time with God in nature.”
From hunting to being
Interestingly, Tong reflects on a significant shift in her 30-year practice. For the first two decades, she describes herself as a “hunter”—someone waiting and grasping for the perfect shot. However, she eventually found this attachment to be at odds with her spiritual values.
In Jireh–Mountain Breaths, the “waiting” has been replaced by “being.” Many of these photographs were taken not while seeking a specific image, but while skiing or walking along frozen rivers, responding only when she felt “moved” by the presence of the divine.
The meaning of home
The exhibition’s Chinese title, “San Sik”, carries a dual meaning of “colour” and “breath” [or “rest”]. This captures the essence of Tong’s experience: a deep, internal rest found in nature. “To see ourselves in the eyes of God,” Tong explains, “is the biggest homecoming.”
This theme is particularly resonant in the current global climate of turmoil and uncertainty. For audiences in Hong Kong and beyond, where the concept of “home” can feel fragile, Tong’s work serves as a reminder of a refuge that exists beyond physical borders.
Her photographs of temples in Kyoto and the rice fields of Takamori Solan reflect a unique synthesis of her Catholic faith and Eastern Zen philosophy, emphasising a “labour of love” that connects the body to the moment.
Providence in the blizzard
The stories behind the lens are as moving as the prints themselves. Tong recounts being stranded for eight hours in a remote mountain drainage during a storm. Instead of a disaster, she remembers it as an experience of pure providence—encounters with strangers who went out of their way to help her, embodying the very “Jireh” she seeks to capture.
A message for the world
While the exhibition wasn’t born out of a conscious effort toward environmental activism, Tong acknowledges the “horrifying” reality of climate change and the dwindling snow she sees as a lifelong skier. Ultimately, Jireh Mountain Breaths is a spiritual expression intended to be a source of support. It is an invitation to breathe, to rest, and to find intimacy with the natural world.
As visitors walk through the gallery, they are not just looking at mountains; they are reading what Tong describes as “an endless love letter from God.”
It is a profound, meditative experience that reveals the artist as much as the landscape, reminding us all that even in the middle of a blizzard, there is a place where we are accepted, provided for, and truly at home.
