In “Smile Your Way To Happiness”, the deep reds of monastic robes flow across the frame like liquid memory—layered, repeated, and dissolving into one another. At the heart of this visual current, a young monk’s face gently surfaces, serene yet elusive, as if suspended between presence and absence. These aren’t just rich tones—they’re visual signifiers of discipline, devotion, and a way of life that feels increasingly distant in our hyper-digitised world. And yet, there’s something quietly arresting: no matter where one stands, the monk’s gaze seems to follow—steady, watchful, almost aware—reminding us that even in fragmentation, there is a centre that holds.

The photograph’s layered composition mimics the flood of digital images we accumulate—moments that overlap, compete, and blur into noise. In capturing and then obscuring this quiet expression of joy or contemplation, the work questions the value of the countless images we create and discard. What does it mean to hold on to a moment, when the very act of holding becomes a performance?

This image is not just about a single smile—it’s about the digital weight we carry, and the quiet beauty that can get lost in the scroll.