About Me

Tarun Chhabra l b.1968 I Civil Engineering + Mba I New Delhi.

All this began after the birth of my daughter in the year 1998. I started comparing her life with the lives of children living on the streets. This comparison disturbed me deeply, and I could not bear to ignore these stark differences. My soul was in a state of unrest.

When I began spending time with some of these children, they opened up to me, sharing their daily struggles — issues related to food, health, work, safety, and more. I did my best to help them through the support of some NGOs, but deep down, I felt it wasn’t enough. I wanted to do more.

The medium I chose to reach a wider audience was photography.

Photography was a completely new territory for me. Neither I nor anyone in my family had ever taken it seriously. To learn the craft, I started assisting renowned photographer S. Paul. His work and dedication deeply inspired me. It was he who truly sowed the seeds of serious photography in me.

After nearly four years of dedicated learning and practice, I held my first solo exhibition titled “Nobody’s Children: Myth and Reality” at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi in 2002.

The exhibition received tremendous appreciation, and many individuals and organizations stepped forward to support the cause. Together, we initiated several welfare programs for these children, including the launch of a free medical health centre at the New Delhi Railway Station, specifically for street children.

Social issues have always been close to my heart. In 2005, I turned my focus to mental health and organized another exhibition titled “Caring…for a Beautiful Mind”, held simultaneously at three prominent venues in New Delhi. This exhibition was sponsored by the Delhi Government and the World Health Organization (WHO).

In 2008, I presented another exhibition on street children titled “Warriors of Light” at India Habitat Centre and Hotel Ashok, New Delhi.

By this time, photography had become my passion. Alongside my work on social issues, I also explored themes close to my heart such as: Romance with Rain, Debi – The Indian Goddess, Prayers & Faith, Kumbh Mela, Performing Rituals, Rural India, Fairs & Festivals of India, and many more.

Over the years, my work has been featured in twelve solo exhibitions and nine group exhibitions at both national and international levels. My photographs are part of the permanent collections of several prestigious international museums and have been published in renowned newspapers, books, and magazines worldwide. I have also received recognition at the prestigious International Photography Awards.

In 2023, I was honored to be invited by the Lalit Kala Akademi — National Academy of Art, Ministry of Culture, Government of India — as a Jury member for the All India Photography Competition titled “Mela Moments”.