Vladimir Antaki has been documenting shopkeepers all over the world. His project was born from his desire to document and pay tribute to these āguardians of urban templesā that we meet everyday without really noticing
David poses with his dog in London
Jainul in his shop in New York
Jose, a TV repairman, in New York
Abou Georges in his workshop in Beirut, Lebanon
Richard surrounded by hundreds of items in Montreal
Edwige is dwarfed by stacks of vintage magazines in Paris
Alyssa in Montreal
Abdou in Beirut
Denise Acabo in her chocolate shop in the Moulin Rouge area of Paris
Yacek stands amongst his adult books and magazines in London
Baba in his shop in Paris
Photograph: Vladimir Antaki/Barcroft Media
Esther stands next to a bin containing fabric in her shop in Montreal. āIt gives me a purpose. I get up in the morning and I come here. I have something to do. Most of my friends my age which is 85, 86, 84 give or take, they get up in the morning and say: āWhat am I gonna do today?ā. They have to look for things to do.ā
Terrence in his bookshop in Montreal. āBookstores, you know, are also a form of community centers. A lot of people come here just to sit and browse and chat with their friends. Iāve had people come in here, men and women who have met one an other and ended up getting married, for heavenās sake.ā
āBirdmanā is surrounded by stacks of CDs in his shop in New York. He doesnāt own a computer, a mobile phone, or a cash register. He solely relies on his visual memory. He made a fortune on Wall Street when he was 35-years old and enjoyed it up to when he was 57, before opening his shop Rainbow Music 13 years ago