Prayers, Outside

Prayers, Outside captures a profound instance of private devotion unfolding in a public space. Set against the familiar, gritty pavement near Sydney Town Hall over at George Street at approximately 5 pm, the image frames a father and son engaged in their Asr afternoon prayer.

The composition centers on the two figures, captured in a moment of near-completion. The posture follows on the deep reverence of sujud, representing an island of absolute stillness and contemplation amid the city's ceaseless current. The subtle grain and light grey of the pavement contrast sharply with the dark clothing, highlighting the physical presence of the two figures while simultaneously underscoring their separation from the surrounding environment.

Negative space is utilised here not as emptiness, but as a deliberate architectural element that amplifies the subjects' story. There’s a visual tension created by the wide expanse of pavement next to the figures, and the scattering of oblivious gulls and pigeons against the subject matter, a dynamic between the two figures' positive presence and the vast, indifferent "outside." This distance is perhaps a personal metaphor for the experience of practicing faith in an environment that may not readily facilitate it, reflecting the artist's own exploration of the tension inherent in maintaining spiritual discipline within a contemporary and multicultural Australian environment.

Viewers are offered a glimpse into a deeply spiritual communion, evoking a sense of shyness or perhaps even the breaking of a social taboo around religion in public life. The photo asks us to reflect on the nature of vulnerability and resilience. What exactly is the quiet strength required to live out one’s deepest convictions? How can we make the invisible sacred visible, regardless of the noise surrounding them?