Light on Words is a photographic work by Bangladeshi photographer Oviul Maruf, released on August 20, 2025. Known for his acclaimed River View album and his growing body of nature and abstract photography, Maruf has developed a reputation for finding beauty in the overlooked and the ordinary. With Light on Words, he shifts his lens inward, creating an intimate scene that merges personal objects with universal themes of memory, knowledge, and the passage of time.
The composition features two central elements: a book titled Fazar and a personal calendar used by the artist himself. At first glance, these objects may seem simple and unremarkable, but Maruf’s use of light transforms them into carriers of meaning. The photograph was captured in low light, where the presence of a soft, golden glow guides the viewer’s attention. Shadows dominate much of the frame, but it is the selective illumination that elevates the book and the calendar into symbolic objects—suggesting the meeting point of literature, time, and personal reflection.
The golden tone of the photograph sets the mood. Rather than a harsh spotlight, the light here feels gentle, almost sacred, touching the surfaces as though revealing stories that might otherwise remain hidden. The choice to photograph in low light is deliberate: it creates an atmosphere of stillness, where the viewer is invited to pause and engage with the textures and details. The pages of Fazar seem to hold whispers of untold words, while the worn calendar speaks of passing days and lived experience.
What makes Light on Words distinctive within Maruf’s portfolio is its intimacy. While his earlier works, especially in nature and abstract photography, often explored wide landscapes and visual patterns, this piece turns to the personal. It is not just a book or a calendar on display; it is a fragment of the photographer’s own world. In this way, the work blurs the line between private memory and collective meaning. The objects, though belonging to him, resonate with anyone who has ever turned to books for wisdom or measured life through the quiet marks of a calendar.
Thematically, the photograph can be seen as a meditation on light itself. Maruf has often emphasized that light is not only a technical tool in photography but also a storyteller. In Light on Words, the light does not overpower but rather guides—falling gently on the book’s title, brushing across the calendar, and leaving the rest to shadow. The balance between illumination and darkness is not accidental; it reflects the way knowledge, memory, and creativity emerge only when touched by the right spark.
The golden hues give the photograph a nostalgic quality, almost as if the moment belongs to a timeless space. It is at once contemporary and classic, modern in execution yet eternal in its subject. Through this work, Maruf continues his exploration of how photography can elevate the ordinary, showing that even in silence and stillness, stories are waiting to be found.
With Light on Words, Oviul Maruf adds a deeply personal yet universally resonant piece to his body of work. It is not only an image but an invitation—asking viewers to reflect on their own relationship with books, time, and the subtle ways light gives meaning to our everyday lives.
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