Fallen // Zero, Thailand 2014

Polish photographer Kuba Ryniewicz wanders the world in search of a good stories. His images are imbued with an enchanting sense of adventure, traveling from Dubai to Iceland with his camera. In February, Ryniewicz went to Asia to study Theravada Buddhism, visiting Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar.

Meeting friends old and new, he became intimately acquainted with the daily lives of those devoted to the Buddhist faith. One day while out, Ryniewicz spotted a monk covered in modern tattoos. Though they did not speak the same language, the young man understood his intentions and brandished his arms for the photograph. The youth was a novice or ‘temporary monk’, following the tradition of Theravada Buddhism where every boy spends time in the monastary to learn and grow. Most return to their ordinary lives, but all participate in the brief ritual of practicing monk-hood.