BANGALORE: “Every child has a right to love, and be loved and to grow up in an atmosphere of love, affection and of moral and material security. This is possible only if the child is brought up in a family.”
Thus reads the motto of Vathsalya Charitable Trust, which was started in 1988. And for 25 years since then, the organisation has been working towards the welfare of children who are abandoned. It has succeeded in placing over 1,000 children into the right homes across the country. Now, the organisation is transitioning into other areas like family welfare and family strengthening working with migrant families, providing free daycare facilities to children with disability and educational sponsorship for children from backward classes.
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Trust and to create awareness about their ongoing activities, the Trust joined hands with 15 renowned artists for a fund-raising event titled The Artists Vision, on June 7, 2014.
As part of the event, artists like Gurudas Shenoy, M G Doddamani, Mridul Chandra, Bharati Sagar, Aarohi Singh, Praveen Kumar, Sudhir Meher, Basuki Dasgupta, Bhavani G S and Shirley Mathew showcased their pieces of art, which are inspired by the paintings made by the children at Vathsalya.
“Children with their innocent minds are not influenced by external forces, artistic movements and technique- which make their ideas original and unique. The wild abundance with which the children have painted greatly influenced me. And I have used this free spirit in my own style,” adds Gurudas Shenoy, who has held exhibitions of his work at leading art galleries in India.
Created by over 40 young and talented children in the age group of 5-12, they interpreted themes such as nature, houses and living beings. Mary Paul, manager of affairs at the Trust, says, “These children love to paint and they play with a lot of colours. When we saw the paintings, we were amazed by their creativity.” The artists couldn’t agree more. Bhavani G S, who has participated in many group shows in India, says, “When I saw the pictures created by the children, I was amazed. There was one drawing that I could relate with. It was one that portrayed nature. I have tried to recreate this work of art in my own way.”
Another artist Praveen Kumar adds, “When I saw the wonderfully colourful home painted by a child, called Johnson, I could immediately connect with his feelings. Inspired by the work, I have created a painting by merging his multi-coloured home with my own impressions of a big city.“
These exclusive ensembles - the children’s painting and the artist’s version, with a dedication were auctioned at the event. The great Indian Master Abani Sen’s daughter has also contributed a piece by her father for the show, which will be part of the Auction.
“This unique event is a culmination of our efforts to create awareness for the work done by Vathsalya. The artists were enthused by the concept and the thought of contributing to the programmes of Vathsalya through their work inspired by children,” says Mohan Krishnan, chairman, of the Trust.