Being close to family and experiencing the simple joys of teenage life outside were things we all longed for in the pesantren. Yet, we learned to embrace the bitterness of study without them. It felt like living in a kind of prison, where discipline, faith, and devotion surrounded us.
Time was marked by prayer and study, by routines that taught us patience, humility, and togetherness. Between simplicity and shared devotion, we found a quiet beauty — a sweetness that lingers in memory.
In Holy Prison, I revisit those years through photographs — retracing the memories of my time studying in an Islamic boarding school. This series is both a reflection and a remembrance, exploring how discipline, isolation, and faith intertwined to shape our sense of purpose and belonging.
