EXHIBITION

DEEPTI ASTHANA (IN)

A SWEET KISS OF MONSOON NIGHT

Le jardin des images, Esplanade du Champ de Mars, Rennes

Exhibition from November 17, 2025 to March 15, 2026

“Have you ever romanticised the Night? The mysterious allure, the beauty of its darkness, the stars that reveal themselves under the blanket of the sky? But what if the Night isn’t beautiful for everyone? For women in many parts of the world, the Night is not a poetic escape but a battleground. The stage of a war they wage within themselves. A Sweet Kiss of Monsoon Night seeks to explore this experience, focusing on the delicate balance of fear and survival. While we often imagine fear as a mental construct, it is a tool of self-preservation. Growing up in an unsafe city, I’ve learned to carry a particular kind of vigilance wherever I go. As a child, I was taught not to wander too far after dark, not to stay out late, and to always be on alert. Even as an adult, these lessons linger in my mind.Through this photographic journey, I aim to reclaim the Night—not as a symbol of fear, but as a space where women can assert their right to exist. This project is my rebellion against a society that has always built walls around us, women. A Sweet Kiss of Monsoon Night is more than just an exploration of nocturnal spaces. This project invites the world to see not just the external dangers, but the internal courage and strength that define our experience of the dark. It is a reclaiming of the Night through a woman’s eyes, through her lens—a way to experience and document the complex, often harrowing reality of navigating a world that can feel hostile, yet beautiful in its own right.”

An exhibition organised by the association Les Champs de l’esplanade with financial support from the City of Rennes and Les Champs Libres.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Deepti Asthana is an independent Indian photographer and filmmaker. She works with National Geographic, among others. Her work primarily addresses gender and environmental issues within traditional Indian societies, reflecting her experiences growing up in a patriarchal small town in Northern India. Leaving her IT career behind, she began photography as a self-taught practitioner before training at the Danish School of Media and Journalism. In 2020, her talent was recognised by World Press Photo when she was awarded under their prestigious Global Talent 6*6 program. Currently, Deepti is documenting the water crisis in the Western Himalayas and its impact on the lives of young women.

DEEPTI ASTHANA WEBSITE

Deepti Asthana (IN)
« A SWEET KISS OF MONSOON NIGHT »
Exhibition from November 17, 2025 to March 15, 2026

Free, open access

Le Jardin des Images,
Esplanade du Champ de Mars,
à l’arrière des Champs Libres,
Rennes