New Delhi, March 31 Holy cities such as Ayodhya and Chitrakoot, and the river Sarayu, find a new, contemplative expression in artist Gitanjali Kashyap’s ongoing solo exhibition ‘Scripted Silence’ here at Triveni Kala Sangam.
The nine-day exhibition draws from Kashyap’s meditative practice of "Ram Naam Lekhan" (writing the name of Ram), where she repeatedly writes the word ‘Ram’ as an act of devotion.
Created using various materials, including paper, turmeric, holy water (gangajal), charcoal, and thread embroidery, the artworks appear as abstract landscapes or ancient manuscripts from a distance. A closer look reveals the repeated inscription of ‘Ram’ in Devnagari script, sometimes interwoven with Sanskrit mantras, forming the very structure of each piece.
Kashyap, who was trained by the noted artist Rameshwar Broota, described the exhibition as "a quiet rebellion" in an increasingly fast-paced world.
"Each piece speaks in whispers, yet carries the weight of centuries, scriptures, and soil. Language here is not merely read but felt as texture and breath... Across this body of works, the viewer’s journey through temples without walls, maps without directions, and prayers without sound. This is an exhibition not of images, but of energies: each work a threshold, a ghat, a veil,” she said.
Curated by art critic Lubna Sen, the show positions Kashyap’s work as a response to what she calls the “visual noise” of contemporary art.
“Gitanjali's work is a product of her inner world, born from silence and contemplation. As a curator, I am inspired by the unique language of her work and the universal vibration that it carries.
"As a gallerist, I am impressed by her aesthetics, which is a product of her genuine hunger for growth and experimentation. Her work emerges from silence and contemplation, offering viewers an experience that is raw, emotional and introspective,” explained Sen, who is also the director of Art Route Gallery.
Among the highlights is "Tectonics of Devotion", inspired by an aerial view of Ayodhya, where dense layers of Ram Naam script in charcoal and graphite map the sacred terrain, punctuated with gold foils symbolizing the shimmering waters of the Sarayu.
Another work, ‘Nandigram’, depicts lord Ram’s footprints, evoking themes of surrender and divine authority rooted in the Ramayana.
The exhibition will conclude on April 3.