The day I fell in love with Shanghai
My love story with Shanghai has a precise starting point.
February 2017. While living in Hong Kong, I visited Shanghai, looking for a new sweet home. At that time, I loved my life in Hong Kong; I loved the sea, the lights and colours, the hills, and the green nature. I didn’t really expect anything from Shanghai.
That day, I was hit by an emotional wave, a revelation. As I strolled along Jiashan Road, I was captivated by the authenticity of street life. I took that photo without realising it was a pivotal moment in my life.

Shanghai, a journey of connections
Shanghai has been the city of encounters and connections for me. My journey as a photographer officially started here, unfolding like a game of connecting dots, naturally leading me to my mission: to bear witness to the soul of Shanghai.
My first exhibition in 2020 at ArtCN gallery, “Moments in Life of the Miao People”, resulted from a simple discussion with my dear Lynda, who led the Fang Fang Education Project (Couleurs de Chine) NGO, just like this.
That out-of-time event, devoted to the Miao people, has been the starting point of all the rest. I enjoyed my trips to the North Guangxi region, where I could capture unique moments, places, hands, faces, and human beings. That day, Shanghai didn't just make me a humanist photographer; it made me a capturer of souls.

Art in daily life
Nobody was waiting for me, and I wasn’t waiting for anyone. But I have enjoyed so many authentic encounters! Progressively, people running places asked me to show my photos: Frank Bistro, Contesta RockHair, the Pullman… A restaurant, a hairdresser, and a hotel were all daily life places, and I am so proud and blessed that my photos could enter people’s lives! It is somehow more valuable for me than being featured only in magazines, on social media or even in art galleries… When I had opportunities to present my work in more official corporate environments, I always tried to offer something surprising, like a dance with Kobby or a song with Erin, creating bridges between people from Europe, Africa, and China. Share my passion and create unexpected links and emotions; that’s maybe the most beautiful side of my photography!

The Soul of Shanghai
Shanghai street life has significantly changed in seven years, and I am glad I enjoyed it to the fullest.
Sunrises on the Bund are another story in the story for me. It has been magical from the first to the last time: through my photographic early and hard work, my precious friendship with the Tai Chi practitioners and the beauty of this daily miracle of the sun rising over the city. I must mention the incredible surprise they offered me when they came to perform during the close-up party of my “Reflections” exhibition at the Pullman Hotel. And the moment I gave Mr Zhou his photo as a farewell gift was so emotional! 
Capture the moment, leave a mark, and bring others joy, peace and love. This is my mission, and I will continue to follow it wherever I land.

Even if my life has always been multicultural, these years have opened me to a unique, diverse community of valuable people, the United Colours of Shanghai! I am grateful to be part of that community!

Before I embark on my next step in Dubai, ready to embrace a new land, new light, new colours, and new connections, I want to express my gratitude to all those who have been part of my Shanghai story: Artscape, ArtCN, Contesta Rockhair, Frank Bistro, the Pullman hotel, Fang-Fang Education Project, Kobby Harding, La Cava de Laoma, and all the individuals who have touched my life in ways I can’t possibly enumerate.

Shanghai, I am leaving you, but you’ll never leave my heart.

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Text by Delphine Gourgues / Words by Delf: www.wordsbydelf.net