Hands of the City

Why this project began.

Across Asia, many of the people who shape a city’s visual identity work beyond the spotlight. Hands of the City was initiated as a long-form editorial and documentary project to follow six makers through the places, rituals and relationships that sustain their practices.

What we set out to change.

Create nuanced portraits that place people before output.

Build a bilingual archive accessible across regions.

Connect local practices through a shared Asian context.

An editorial process shaped on site.

The team spent five days with each participant, combining recorded conversation, observational photography and location sound. Rather than arrive with a fixed script, the editorial structure emerged from repeated gestures and details noticed on site.

A story designed to keep travelling.

The first chapter brings together six digital profiles, a 24-minute film and a limited publication designed as a portable studio archive. Future chapters will extend the format to new cities.