David Roberts is a photographic author and cultural documentarian working at the intersection of craft and conservation; exploring Southeast and East Asian history and heritage through iconoclastic yet superlative technical-artistic expression. David utilises techniques rooted in the European non-fotografie tradition of chiaroscuro/clair-obscur, balanced by philosophical introspection from contemporary stoicism. David’s first true marker of credibility in the fine-art cultural space was through TASCHEN review in June 2025, followed by ZEISS partnership, effective September 1st 2025. His legacy work (from Simple Nothings to Soul of the Planet) forms an evolving series of anthropological studies on the dissonance between lasting memory and relentless modernity. DRobertsPhoto stands as the bedrock of David’s post-social suite.
David builds his work inside two frameworks: his Closed Loop Creative System and a Post-Social ecosystem. David’s Closed Loop is not a theory — it is a working, self-funded production cycle where each artefact directly facilitates the next, locking in IP control and momentum through execution. Embracing the Post-Social ecosystem removes all dependency on algorithm-driven platforms, replacing them with owned, permanent channels and institutional alliances. Together these systems form a viable alternate framework to the status quo, fully rejecting the recent notion of audience as tastemaker, thus forming a high-integrity creative engine: culturally anchored and built for permanence, not platform. Should these frameworks be adopted elsewhere, David theorises that it would take five or more years to produce comparable results as his technical fluency, production skill, location familiarity, cultural access and institutional trust aren’t things one can download or buy.
DRobertsPhoto works in collaboration with:
Current Projects:
Too Quiet for the Algorithm Too Loud for Any Room
Part manifesto, part memoir delivered in 13,700 words across 100+ pages of typographically-led spreads. Looks like a mood board, reads like the feed. Bleeds post-social.
Discover Temples of Thailand
A singularly authored photographic monograph blending socio-geographic documentary and cultural preservation with an exploration of David Roberts’ personal heritage.
Current Submissions:
International Monetary Fund commission "Thailand 2026: A Vibrant and Resilient Economic Future"
Commission brief directly intersects with Discover Temples of Thailand, and self sustaining heritage-focused economies of preservation and devotion.
YUI–PORT Niigata Artist-in-Residence Program, Spring 2026
Proposed project Discover Temples of Japan would bridge current Thai projects and Discover Castles of Japan, integrating Closed Loop and Post-Social workshops.
For interested parties:
Media packet access is available on request via davidroberts@drobertsphoto.com
The packet includes creator credentials, submissions, monograph preludes, manuscript samples, FUJILOVE editorials, and legacy zines.
Request does not guarantee access.