The Guardians is a series of intimate portraits of artisans and shopkeepers — custodians of what I call urban temples. These modest spaces — shops, workshops, market stalls — exist far from conventional landmarks, yet they hold the authentic cultural fabric of their communities. I refuse idealised nostalgia: I look for the resilience, dignity, and cultural continuity of individuals overlooked by rapidly evolving cities. By elevating these humble spaces to monumental significance, the series becomes a visual inquiry into the need to preserve cultural authenticity.

All portraits share a consistent frontal composition and a very wide-angle lens, amplifying the grandeur of each space and placing the viewer in direct relation with the sitter. What might first appear as clutter becomes majestic, almost sacred. The portraits are often installed life-size in the empty storefronts of closed shops, or in museum settings accompanied by immersive soundscapes that share each Guardian's story. The intention is twofold: to create a face-to-face encounter with the audience, and to make of these images a lasting proof of these Guardians' existence — in our times of speed and digital shopping.