Capturing China in Monochrome

Between 2015 and 2019, while teaching English in Tianjin and Chengdu, I wandered through China’s ancient alleys and modern streets with a camera in hand, often alongside my Chengdu-born wife. What began as casual documentation evolved into a visual meditation on contrast, culture, and expat life.

Fabulous Agora – China Moments in Monochrome is the result: a curated collection of 150 black-and-white photographs that reflect my time living and working in China. These images capture fleeting moments, architectural textures, and the quiet poetry of everyday life — all rendered in monochrome to emphasize emotion over spectacle.

This was more than travel photography. It was a way to process transformation, isolation, and belonging. The book’s title, Fabulous Agora, evokes both myth and marketplace — a place where stories, faces, and shadows converge.

Published through Blurb in 2025, the project is a visual companion to my broader creative work in film, sound, and fiction. It stands as a testament to the power of stillness, contrast, and cultural resonance.

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