This is an archive article published on March 3, 2019

A Moment in Time

Ranbir Kaleka, who recently received the Punjab Gaurav Sanman, on how he is surrounded by possibilities. Kaleka’s paintings, on paper and canvas, in oils and mixed media, are close to life

Written by: Parul

3 min readMar 3, 2019 12:40 AM IST

Ranbir Kaleka

CLOSER home in Chandigarh, where Ranbir Kaleka began his creative journey at the Government College of Art, there are many memories that enveloped the artist as he received the Punjab Gaurav Sanman by the Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi. “Non-events” and a childhood with “little to do” in a large haveli in Patiala, where he was born, prompted him to create his own stories.

“Living there affected my sensibility and gave me intense focus. Time slowed down, and it meant an extension of a feeling which slowly transforms. The slow time and movement created intensity,” says Kaleka, who received his Master’s degree in painting from the Royal College of Art, London.

Kaleka’s paintings, on paper and canvas, in oils and mixed media, are close to life. The scenes receive a surreal treatment, with the narratives being kept open-ended and the works infused with ambiguity, as the artist contemplates an act in subdued and muted colours.

“I don’t find any simple meaning in a thought. For me, it has potential if it is abstracted, for it is abstraction that allows us to infer many meanings,” says Kaleka. He refers to the recent Asia Contemporary Art Week in Dubai, the theme of which was Collections, where his talk, “Miraculous Non-Events” focused on how accumulated stories in the mind emerge as invented events and how time is important to look at.

Life and its many truths form the basis of Kaleka’s works. His deep interest in cinema leads to him creating video art and exploring how a painting, when combined with sound and movement — projecting video on painted canvases — creates an intensity and encourages the viewer to be a part of the narrative. One such work is the video projections, Man With Cockerel, Powder Room, Man Threading a Needle, “where the painting begins to breathe, the only movement is breath and blinking of the eye,” says Kaleka. For the artist, till the time the truth keeps eluding him, he is immersed, or else, he drops the thought, narrative or work. “It has to be ambiguous, out of grasp, if it doesn’t make you gasp, it won’t do the same for the viewer. I don’t use technology for the sake of it. With video, light, sound I wanted to create immersive experiences, achieve stillness with movement. Earlier, technology was low in the hierarchy of art, painting first, then sculpture. Those categories are gone, one is an artist, and as one you are surrounded with many possibilities,” he says.

Kaleka also talked about “Consider”, a Holocaust memorial, commissioned by the Spertus Museum, in which he attempted to create open-ended narratives, through video-painting and projections. He observes what loss of human life means and chooses not to tell the story from the side of the Jews or the Europeans.

Kaleka works at his own pace, letting time guide his story. It is Not Anonymous, Waking to the Fear of a New Dawn, which are multiple surface projections and sculptural videos, which he will showcase soon. “A man, bound to the earth, unable to get up, is fraught by his own fears,” says Kaleka.

Parul

Parul is a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express in Chandigarh. She is a seasoned journalist with over 25 years of experience specializing in public health, higher education, and the architectural heritage of Northern India. Professional Profile Education: Graduate in Humanities with a specialized focus on Journalism and Mass Communication from Panjab University, Chandigarh. Career Path: She began her career covering local city beats and human interest stories before joining The Indian Express in 2009. Over the last decade and a half, she has risen to the rank of Principal Correspondent, becoming the publication’s primary voice on Chandigarh’s premier medical and academic institutions. Expertise: Her reporting is deeply rooted in the institutional dynamics of PGIMER (Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research) and Panjab University. She is highly regarded for her ability to navigate complex administrative bureaucracies to deliver student-centric and patient-centric news. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2024 - 2025) Her recent work highlights critical reporting on healthcare infrastructure, academic governance, and urban culture: 1. Public Health & PGIMER "PGIMER expands digital registry: Centralized patient records to reduce wait times by 40%" (Nov 20, 2025): A detailed look at the digital transformation of one of India's busiest medical institutes to tackle patient influx. "Robotic Surgery at PGI: Why the new urology wing is a game-changer for North India" (Oct 12, 2025): Reporting on the acquisition of state-of-the-art medical technology and its impact on affordable healthcare. "Shortage of life-saving drugs: Inside the supply chain crisis at government pharmacies" (Dec 5, 2025): An investigative piece on the logistical hurdles affecting chronic patients in the tri-city area. 2. Education & Institutional Governance "Panjab University Senate Election: The battle for institutional autonomy" (Dec 18, 2025): In-depth coverage of the high-stakes internal elections and the friction between traditional governance and central reforms. "Research funding dip: How PU’s science departments are navigating the 2025 budget cuts" (Nov 5, 2025): An analysis of the fiscal challenges facing researchers and the impact on India's global academic ranking. 3. Art, Culture & Heritage "Le Corbusier’s legacy in peril: The struggle to preserve Chandigarh’s Capitol Complex" (Dec 22, 2025): A feature on the conservation efforts and the tension between urban modernization and UNESCO heritage status. "Chandigarh Art District: How street murals are reclaiming the city’s grey walls" (Oct 30, 2025): A cultural profile of the local artists transforming the aesthetic of the "City Beautiful." Signature Style Parul is known for her empathetic lens, often centering her stories on the individuals affected by policy—whether it is a student navigating university red tape or a patient seeking care. She possesses a unique ability to translate dense administrative notifications into actionable information for the public. Her long-standing beat experience makes her a trusted source for "inside-track" developments within Chandigarh’s most guarded institutions. X (Twitter): @parul_express ... Read More

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