Rachel Lopez

Rachel Lopez is a journalist for the Hindustan Times in Mumbai and her work often requires her to take taxis. In 2017, while riding in a ‘kaali peeli’, the name given to the black and yellow taxis there, she noticed the entire interior lining of the roof had been decorated. Thereafter, every time she took a taxi, she took a selfie with these curious settings as the backdrop and posted it on Instagram. These eclectic plastic prints, with illustrations ranging from floral arrangements to fruit or geometrical shapes, can be found in most of Mumbai’s taxis.

The drivers put them there to help keep the interior of their cars clean. Rachel Lopez’ 500 or so images reveal an artistic world that is both kitsch and secret and are a means for her to show that we only need to look up to rediscover our environment and the surprises it has in store.