Artist Ranjan Kaul‘s sixth solo exhibition, “Within, Without: Tales of Evanescence,” opens this month in New Delhi, presenting a collection of works focused on missing persons and social disappearances. The exhibition runs from September 19-23 at LTC, Bikaner House on Pandara Road, before moving to Urban Fringe in Okhla Phase I from September 27 to October 5, 2025.
Exhibition Overview
The show features multiple mediums including oil and acrylic paintings, woodcut prints, painted collages, sculptures, and an installation. Kaul’s work draws inspiration from newspaper classified advertisements for missing people and documented cases of real-world disappearances.
The exhibition addresses various forms of disappearance, from victims of trafficking and migrants lost in conflict zones to voluntary and enforced disappearances. Curatorial advisor Ina Puri has worked with Kaul to organize the presentation.
Featured Works
Several specific pieces anchor the exhibition’s thematic focus:
Leaving Home depicts a mother and daughter fleeing domestic violence. The Red Room is a collage work that traces a girl’s path from abduction to sexual exploitation. A New Identity shows a sex worker attempting to escape a brothel.
The exhibition also includes works addressing broader geopolitical situations. Cataclysm in Sudan references the ongoing civil conflict in Sudan, while Equus siege addresses cybercrime and fraud schemes through woodcut engraving techniques. A sculpture titled Blackbird incorporates animal symbolism, which Kaul frequently uses in his work alongside poetry and metaphorical elements.
Ranjan Kaul employs what he describes as a “subdued palette” appropriate to his subject matter. His methodology involves researching newspaper reports and news agency data about missing persons cases. The artist uses symbolism, metaphor, and allegory to structure his compositions.
According to Kaul, the exhibition reflects his “intense engagement with humanitarian themes” while maintaining consistent formal elements in his use of color, texture, and compositional structure across different works.
Curatorial advisor Ina Puri notes that missing persons have been a recurring subject in Kaul’s work for several years. She describes the exhibition as both “a heart-filled tribute and a lament” for those who have disappeared without resolution or justice.
The exhibition continues Kaul’s practice of addressing social and political issues through visual art, focusing on individuals and communities affected by various forms of systemic violence and displacement.
Exhibition Details
Dates: September 19-23, 2025 (Bikaner House) / September 27 – October 5, 2025 (Urban Fringe)
Hours: 11 AM – 7 PM
Locations: LTC, Bikaner House, Pandara Road, New Delhi / Urban Fringe, F-15 Basement, Okhla Phase I, New Delhi
Curatorial Advisor: Ina Puri
All Images Courtesy of Ranjan Kaul
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