Carlos Idun-Tawiah’s photograph from the Sunday Special Series, "Don't Say Cheese," Accra, Ghana, 2022, distills the quiet intensity of a Ghanaian Sunday gathering with profound emotional resonance.

Taken in front of a stone church, the image eschews the traditional demand for smiles, honoring instead the raw sincerity and introspection of its subjects. The blend of vibrant Ghanaian fabrics and formal Western attire creates a visual conversation between tradition and modernity, rooted in the lived experiences of the community.

Every figure—be it seated in kente-cloth pride or standing in polished white socks—reflects a tapestry of generational exchange, faith, and cultural heritage.

Inspired by his own childhood and the treasured family albums cultivated every Sunday, Idun-Tawiah’s lens is attuned to the subtle rituals of presence, anticipation, and kinship.

The photograph does more than capture a moment; it evokes collective memory, nostalgia, and the timelessness of community. Rich facial expressions suggest lives marked by wisdom, expectation, and the silent strength of belonging.

The textured church wall and arched windows anchor the scene in spiritual and architectural continuity, underscoring the enduring importance of gathering and faith in Ghanaian life.

Idun-Tawiah’s work bridges personal and collective archives, meticulously reconstructing stories that challenge what is remembered and what remains unseen. By inviting viewers into a world where joy and gravity coexist, he reframes beauty as something found not only in performance, but in the honest act of being seen.

The photograph’s gravity lies in its refusal to idealize, capturing an authenticity rarely encountered—one that resists the veneer of smiles for the deeper bonds of family, tradition, and hope.