‘Capital Letters from death row India’ is an online exhibition commissioned by Project 39A and curated by reFrame through letters, audio recordings, photographs, and artwork created by the prisoners on death row. The exhibition is an attempt at creating an engaging and thought-provoking platform that humanises prisoners on death row and provides the public with an opportunity to understand the lived experiences of individuals on death row. 

This unique exhibition has eight sections that unravel the different aspects of life on death row. Each of these sections and the exhibition as a whole pieces together their stories using letters, video archives and interviews that span a number of years. The sections provide an insight into the complex realities of death row and bring the audience face to face with the person living the punishment. 

A key component of the exhibition are the letters written by  prisoners who may still be living under the sentence of death, those whose sentences may have now been reduced, or even those who may have, by the time this exhibition reaches you, smelt the air of freedom. These letters are filled with stories of hope, hopelessness, trauma, memories, notes on their case, helplessness, loneliness, remorse, and desperation. The shadow of impending death that hangs over most of these letters confers a particular significance to what is being said in the letters and creates a space for expressing hope, affection, joy and love.

The exhibition is an attempt to bring these perspectives into the public discourse, enabling a wider audience to engage with real-life narratives that underlie the judicial proceedings as they hold immense power to challenge prejudices, foster empathy, and promote a more nuanced understanding of justice and its implications for individuals and society.