As a child, Argentinian photographer Leonardo Diaz vividly remembers visiting a painting exhibition about the cultural landscape of Asia with his father. For reasons he can’t quite explain, the show moved him and, years later, played a part in his relocation from Buenos Aires to Shanghai.

“From that exhibition, I always found myself drawn to Asian culture and the people, places, and way of life,” explains Diaz, who has now lived there for over a decade. “China has a huge and complicated history, and society has changed rapidly in the last 30 years, especially with the emergence of the creative industry. When I visited, I didn’t plan on being there for a decade, but I ended up just going with the flow and having one long adventure.”

Diaz credits China with giving him a new perspective on life and shaping his photographic practice. While his work centres on fashion, his access point is often niche subcultures he encounters by happenstance, often when cycling around Shanghai late at night. “The city is so crowded in the daytime,” says Diaz, who has shot for adidas, Dazed, and Rolling Stone. “The night is a different story, and I found that time so quiet and inspiring.”