Famed for his nostalgic capturing of bygone Shanghai, photographer Deke Erh's latest project is to portray the spectacular scenery of Northwest China, and his superb photos are now showing at his studio on Taikang Road, writes Wang Jie.

Deke Erh Art Center is a must-see on Taikang Road. The 800-square-meter former warehouse has been renovated into a post-Modern studio, and it's the little details that reflect the taste of its owner — perfectionism and freedom.

Deke Erh is a familiar name among the expat community of Shanghai as he has been a pioneer in finding charming old houses and bygone Shanghai through his pictures.

"Shanghai is like a labyrinth to me," Erh says. "Wherever I am, I know I have a home back here."

Erh has several titles: photographer, collector, historian, publisher and businessman. But traveling and taking pictures are still the most important things in his life journey. His has covered nearly every corner of China.

"Sometimes the conditions are rather tough, but I think a meaningful life also needs courage and boldness," he says.

Coming from an old Shanghai tycoon family, Erh is the only one left of his family and he must take care of the business in Shanghai. The past affluent days unwittingly gave him an acute and nostalgic eye to "discover" hidden beauty amongst the mediocre.

Erh is a lucky man, not only because of the family he was born into, but by the choice he has made in his art.

"I am now working on a photographic project on the northwest part in China," he says. "You just can't imagine how stunning these primitive landscapes are. Unfortunately they are disappearing due to so-called 'human civilization.' I know if I captured them by camera it is not permanent, I just record small, still fragments.

"I believe their meanings will come out several hundred years later. I hope that one day the libraries at Harvard or Yale University might have my albums to let people know more about China."

Apart from his photos, Erh's studio also displays the artworks of other artists. "I come to my studio nearly every day when I am in Shanghai," he says. "I refuse any unnecessary social gatherings, except close talks with my friends."

Born in 1955 in Shanghai;
Engaged in photography for more than 20 years;
One of the first freelance photographers in China;
Published a series of photo albums on architecture and regional landscape;
Honored "scholar photographer" by Western media.