KOCHI: Aleena A P is on cloud nine. For her painting was selected by India Post for this year’s Children’s Day postage stamp. Her painting was selected after she won a painting competition held recently. Around 200 children had partcipated in the event.
The young artist has been dabbling with colours since she was three years old. She started training under Unni Balaramapuram at the age five after her teachers discovered her penchant for drawing and suggested that her parents enrol her in art classes.
While Aleena paints with a range of mediums, including oil paints, crayons and watercolours, acrylic paints are her favourite. “Acrylic is easy to paint with and gives the work a realistic effect,” says Aleena, a Class VI student of Carmel Girls Higher Secondary School.
Aleena, who is equally adept at recreating portraits and landscapes, has been taking part in the ‘Design a Stamp Competition’ for the past few years. “Luck favoured me this year. The topic given was ‘Navodhanam Navakerala Nirmathikk’. It was my idea to add books, the nib of a pen and children from different religions. Also, my mom suggested a few ideas,” says Aleena.
The painting depicts children from varied religious backgrounds marching for a literate Kerala. It also protrays the ‘Villuvandi Samaram’ led by Ayyankali being reflected on a pair of spectacles.
The pioneer of the American animation industry, Walt Disney, is her role model. “I was attracted to animations created by Disney since I was very young. I would like to follow his path and become an animator,” says the 12-year-old.
In 2017 and 2018, Aleena emerged winner in the south zone competition organised by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre as part of Space Week celebrations. She also won the YMCA All Kerala painting competition and has bagged several district and state-level awards for competitions, clay modelling, cartoon, digital painting, elocution and other literary tournaments.
The release of this year’s stamp and presentation of the award to Aleena will be held on November 14 during the state Children’s Day celebrations at Kanakakunnu Palace. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will release the stamp by giving it to Child Development Minister K K Shailaja.