While on assignment for Urban Art Projects (UAP) in 2010, photographer Roger D’Souza found himself drifting the streets of a desolate part of Shanghai with his 1959 Rollieflex camera.

The results have been compiled into an exhibition, titled On Dérive #1: Shanghai, on display at Blok Furniture’s studio in Red Hill, Queensland.

The title comes from the idea of the dérive, an unplanned journey.

“Coming from the crazy world of Shanghai, into the silence of these twisting laneways, there was a definite shift – it was almost an unnerving experience,” says D’Souza.

“What I loved were the muted colours of the buildings, orange bricks against such white sky, powdery blues. Also the touches of modern life – a pair of Vans sneakers, for example – that sit in the middle of a streetscape that feels truly ancient and otherworldly.

“I think that in a city with such a vast population – to still find these places of quietude – there’s certainly a beauty in that.”

“I am constantly inspired as a photographer just by the simple act of looking,” says D’Souza of what sparks his work.

“I try to find beauty in the everyday.”

Roger D’Souza Photography
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