Artist Chezhiyan’s painting, depicting a bharatanatyam dancer is a burst of yellows, oranges and reds. This work will be one among the 73 paintings that will be exhibited at the ITC Grand Chola, as part of the Indian Community Welfare Organisation’s fundraiser event. The paintings have been donated by 19 artists, both upcoming and accomplished, from Chennai.
The NGO, which works for the upliftment of sex works, HIV +ve patients and the marginalised, is organising this fundraiser in aid of trafficked children and children of sex workers. The proceeds from the fundraiser will go towards the educational needs to these kids.
“We collect funds to help these kids every year,” says Shareef, who is incharge of the show. “Usually, we make a list of the items that the kids need and approach organisations and individuals, who will be able to help us out. They buy whatever they can on the list and donate them to us,” he says.
But the usual method proved too time consuming and difficult for the organisation. “That’s why we decided to hold a fund raiser,” says Shareef. The NGO approached several artists from Chennai, including the likes of Chezhiyan, A P Paneerselvam, Henry Daniel, Hans Kaushik and Trotsky Marudhu among others, and asked them to donate some of their paintings.
“The proceeds from the sale of one painting per artist will go to the kids. For the rest of the paintings, 50 per cent of the proceeds will go to the artists, as we wanted to do something for them as well,” says Shareef.
The total proceeds will be saved in the bank for the kids. “We use the money we get as interest to help the children. This way, we will have some money left as well,” explains Shareef.