IT'S NOW the year of the monkey. And to celebrate this Chinese New Year one photographer is bringing his community right into focus.

George Ping’s parents arrived in Southampton from south China in the 1940s. His dad found work in a Chinese laundry on St Mary’s Road, before making the most of the takeaway boom of the 1970s and setting up his own restaurants – one on London Road called Hong Kong and another on Bedford Place called Peking House.

George, who is now 54, started taking photographs with a Pentax MX when he left Bellemoor School – now Upper Shirley High – and has carried on ever since. Sensing the need to represent his community, he started to document his life in Southampton as well as the rest of the UK.

He said: “I started off taking pictures of friends of family and then progressed to the Chinese community in their working lives.”

Although George spent most of his own working life in the catering industry himself, he was also an events photographer for Due South magazine, covering Southampton, Bournemouth, Weymouth, and Portsmouth.

And when the dad of three saw the contribution his life's work could make to the Chinese community he approached Southampton Solent gallery about getting involved with their multicultural projects.

“The Chinese aren’t reported on. Black people say they should be represented more but it’s the same with the Chinese and oriental community. I’ve always thought the Chinese aren’t represented in a visual sense – on TV and in magazines. I’m trying to raise the profile."

The images in the exhibition look at people in the community with affection. George said: “They’re just ordinary people. A lot of people have this idea that Chinese people just work in Chinese restaurants. There’s one of a Chinese policeman – they’re not always working in takeaways. I’m just trying to show pictures of everyday life.”

The exhibition is on until March 19.