Kolkata Centre for Creativity (KCC) opens its doors this week to No One Is a Stranger, a solo exhibition dedicated to the photographic journey of Kushal Ray. Curated by photographer and long-time collaborator Swastik Pal, the exhibition will be on view from 29 August to 20 September 2025 at KCC’s First Floor gallery.
Across 65 photographic prints spanning several decades, Ray’s practice unfolds as an intimate exploration of identity, urban life, landscape, and cultural memory. His work, marked by quiet intensity and emotional clarity, positions photography as much more than documentation—it becomes a way of seeing, feeling, and belonging.
“I see photography as a unique adventure to discover how I am placed with the people I like and love,” says Ray. “My aim is to give the viewer the feeling that I am trying to convey an experience I have felt profoundly.”
A Distinctive Voice in Indian Photography
Ray’s journey into photography is as unconventional as it is compelling. Born in Kolkata in 1960, he began his career as a sports journalist at The Telegraph before turning to photography full-time in the early 1990s. Self-taught yet deeply informed by observation and empathy, he quickly developed a visual vocabulary that diverged from prevailing trends.
His first solo exhibition, Everyday Life of an Exotic Land (1998), focused on Ladakh, but it was Intimacies—a long-term project begun in 1998 and published as a book in 2012—that cemented his reputation. The series has been exhibited internationally, from the University of Southampton and the British Museum in London to the Singapore International Photography Festival. Ray was also the inaugural recipient of the Dignity Grant, initiated by noted photographer Dayanita Singh.
In Kolkata, No One Is a Stranger unfolds as both retrospective and reintroduction—showcasing well-known works like Intimacies alongside rarely seen photographs that trace the arc of his evolving practice.
A Curatorial Lens
“No One Is a Stranger brings together Ray’s most iconic images and lesser-shown works to create a dialogue between the familiar and the overlooked,” explains Swastik Pal, the exhibition’s curator. “It’s an intimate and timely exhibition that speaks to the universality of memory and the everyday.”
Pal himself is an accomplished visual artist whose long-term research on human-environment relationships has been widely recognized. Their collaboration reflects not only professional camaraderie but also a shared belief in photography as a site of inquiry, empathy, and storytelling.
KCC’s Commitment to Cultural Memory
For KCC, the exhibition underscores its mission of socially engaged arts programming. “Kushal Ray’s work resonates deeply with our commitment to meaningful artistic engagement,” says Richa Agarwal, Chairperson of KCC. “His photographs offer a contemplative space to reflect on memory, identity, and shared experience. We’re pleased to collaborate with Swastik Pal on this show, which brings new insight to Ray’s remarkable practice.”
The multidisciplinary arts centre, established by the Anamika Kala Sangam Trust, continues to position itself at the intersection of cultural research, inclusivity, and public engagement. With No One Is a Stranger, KCC provides Kolkata audiences a chance to engage with one of India’s most thoughtful, introspective photographers.
Exhibition Details:
No One Is a Stranger: Photographs by Kushal Ray
Curated by Swastik Pal
29 August – 20 September 2025
First Floor, Kolkata Centre for Creativity (KCC)
Cover Image: Kushal Ray | Teesta Feeds Her Great Grandmother Muni | Series, Intimacies 1998-2009
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