The social and economic paradoxes of modern Shanghai are presented in Alain Delorme's "Totems." This series of exaggerated photographs, manipulated through photoshop, depicts the reality of the low-wage workers who toil at the bottom rung while Shanghai expands around them. In the midst of rising skyscrapers and exploding wealth, they are left to carry the ever-increasing weight of the city's market demands.

The social and economic paradoxes of modern Shanghai are presented in Alain Delorme's "Totems." This series of exaggerated photographs, manipulated through photoshop, depicts the reality of the low-wage workers who toil at the bottom rung while Shanghai expands around them. In the midst of rising skyscrapers and exploding wealth, they are left to carry the ever-increasing weight of the city's market demands.

French photographer Alain Delorme created this series, Totems, while living in Shanghai, China in 2009. As noted on his website, while one is usually fascinated by the delusion of grandeur of Chinese society, Delorme chose to focus on the individuals running around the city. The work is currently on display in Bilbao at Sala Rekalde.