A series of new photographs have been released, telling the moving story of two women coming out of the closet.

The series – by photographer Arjun Kamath – captures the struggle that LGBT go through when coming out, as well as the rejection and ridicule they may still face.

The images show the journey of Alpana and Maitreyi, who are shown climbing out of a closet, before finding peace and acceptance together.

The powerful imagery aims to show the fear and confusion many people feel when realising their sexuality, and the strength it takes to be honest with oneself, as well as society.

However, the photos also capture the rejection, ridicule and even physical violence that many LGBT people are still subjected to all over the world – as the pair are caught, beaten, dragged back into the closet and burnt alive.

Speaking about his inspiration for the photographs, Kamath said: “Being straight, I think I can look at the whole situation more objectively.

“I don’t think discrimination against gay people is any different from other types of discrimination, such as discrimination against overweight people or discrimination against dark skinned people.

“People should be allowed to lead their lives without judgement. It’s cowardly to make fun of people who are different from you,” he told Office Chai.

“That said, I don’t consider myself to be a gay activist. I’m an artist and I work on subjects that move me.”

Asked about the reaction to the series, the photographer said its reception had been nothing but positive.

“The most heartening aspect has been receiving messages of support from strangers.

“Just today, a bisexual woman messaged me that saying how the photo shoot had moved her to tears,” he said.

“She says she’d been ostracised throughout her life for being bisexual and being dark skinned.”

“She said she was really happy I’d brought this issue out into the open.”