Rayyiu Radzi, who goes by the name ‘Ray’, has a few pictures of Sri Lanka in his portfolio. As little as they are in number, the stories they tell are of a Sri Lanka we, even as natives, are not very likely to know. Most of his photographs capture Muslims, women cloaked in abayas, but they are quite different from what we have normally come to expect.

Scratched and of a vintage look, his photographs are of cooler tones that make the viewer feel almost nostalgic while browsing through the collection. The photographs feel as if they have been taken at a different time and possibly a different place – almost as if they were taken in a parallel universe.

Hailing from Malaysia, the bio on his website reveals that he ‘seeks beauty of all kinds’ when taking photographs, ‘respecting it and capturing it in the most raw and real moments to create a sense of feeling.’ Ray seeks to stimulate our imagination with his photographs.

Have a look at some of his selected photographs below and let your imagination run wild while dreaming up stories for each of them.

: A solitary woman cloaked in a black abaya stares off into the horizon at Galle Face

: A postman poses with his bicycle on his morning round

: Passengers on a train

: That classic, welcoming Sri Lankan smile

: A portrait of a boy

: Portrait of two young boys

: A woman cloaked in an abaya and nikkab riding a bicycle

: The formidable Adam’s Peak. The pathway up is lit by long florescent bulbs

: A tired Buddhist monk on pilgrimage –clutching onto a bottle of Sprite on Adam’s Peak

: Rows of portraits of Sri Lankans

: A family portrait on a blue wall. This wonderful picture feels like a snapshot of a dream

Intrigued by Ray’s photographs? There’s more! Follow this link for more amazing, unreal photographs.

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