The world today is obsessed with filters, glow ups and air brushed makeups. Amongst all this noise, a black and white portrait exhibition at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Arts (KNMA) in Delhi has quietly shattered the norms.
Every Smile Belongs is a powerful collaboration between Smile Train India, the world’s largest cleft-focused charity organization and photographer Komal Bedi Sohal who has come up with a series of pictures of children born with cleft lips and palates.
The exhibition inaugurated by Dr. Sujata Chaudhary, Additional DG, Health Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, marked a significant moment. Dr. Chaudhary praised the initiative for its ability to bring cleft awareness into mainstream discourse through powerful visual storytelling.
The walls at the exhibition feature children’s photographs with expressive hands and beautiful smiles, not their age groups or medical history.
Regarding how she shot for the project, Komal told a media portal, “I sat beside the mothers so that their babies would not be scared. I played with the babies, talked to the children, showed them how the camera worked. It was never just ‘point and shoot.’ It was a process of building trust.”
These images beckon us to rethink - from sympathy to solidarity, from judgment to understanding, affirming that every smile, regardless of its shape, truly belongs. The exhibition is a must visit!
Address: KNMA, No. 145, DLF South Court Mall, near Select Citywalk Mall, Saket District Centre, Sector 6
Date: Till July 6, 2025
Timings: 10:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. (Mondays closed)