Before the Ceremony

In a Laotian monastery, young novices sweep fallen leaves before a ceremony. The quiet labor unfolds as a shared ritual, where preparation becomes presence and the ordinary gestures of care shape a fleeting, collective moment.

The photographic series was made on January 31, 2026, in a Buddhist temple located in Vang Vieng, Laos, on the morning preceding a religious celebration. It observes a group of novice monks as they clean the temple grounds, sweeping fallen leaves from the courtyard, stairways, and walkways surrounding the temple buildings.

Rather than focusing on the ceremony itself, the series centers on the moments of preparation that unfold beforehand. The act of sweeping, repeated across multiple images, becomes both a practical task and a quiet ritual. Through this simple gesture, the photographs trace how order is gradually restored to the space, transforming the courtyard in anticipation of the upcoming event. Time is experienced not through spectacle, but through steady, deliberate movement.

The images alternate between wide views of the temple environment and more contained scenes focused on individual figures. Architectural elements—ornamented pillars, stairs, shrines, and open courtyards—anchor the subjects within a carefully structured space. The visual rhythm of the series is shaped by recurring elements: fallen leaves scattered across stone surfaces, straw brooms in motion, and the consistent presence of the monks’ robes, which unify the images through color and texture.

Throughout the series, attention remains on collective effort rather than individual identity. Figures appear alone, in small groups, or dispersed across the frame, emphasizing the shared nature of the task. No single moment is privileged; instead, meaning emerges through accumulation and repetition. The sweeping does not signal an ending, but an in‑between state, where everyday labor prepares the ground for ritual.

The work reflects on preparation as a form of presence. By focusing on an ordinary activity within a sacred setting, the series explores how care, discipline, and attention shape communal spaces, revealing a quiet intersection of time, place, and collective responsibility just before celebration begins.