CHENNAI: A mighty banyan tree stands tall on the Earth with its roots taking a firm grip of the soil. The bark of the tree bears a smiling face. There are all kinds of animals and birds perched on the tree and under its cool shade. This is the artwork of Niyati R, a class nine student at HLC International School. It’s just one among 17 such paintings displayed at an exhibition hosted by Art at Heart in Artworld Sarala’s Art Centre on Cenotaph Road. The hall echoed with peels of laughter and was filled with kids running around playfully.From appreciating flora and fauna to in-depth topics, 15 children from Kannagi Nagar tsunami settlement teamed up with 60 children from HLC International School under the mentorship of InkLink Trust and created acrylic paintings featuring different themes on canvas.
We were standing in front of one such heartwarming 3D painting work by Srinidhi G, a class 9 student and team. The canvas had four faces bearing a blank expression drawn on four pieces of chart paper. Beneath every piece of paper was the true expression of the person that he or she was trying to mask from society. Srinidhi explained, “As a team, we belong to different communities and background. But our feelings and emotions are universal. Whether I felt sad or my friend felt angry, the emotion we expressed was the same. Language was a big barrier between Kannagi Nagar children and us. But we bonded over creativity and ideas. The kids are talented and we understood the privileges we had and how deprived those kids were. It’s a great learning experience.”
The initiative is a collaborative awareness art exhibition where art is bridging the social gap and providing empowerment to the less privileged and vulnerable children. “Art at Heart was started last year to promote the Right to Creative Education for every child in this country. This is the second edition of our art exhibition. We hope to make it yearly. The money collected from selling these paintings will be used as scholarship for the lesser-privileged children of Kannagi Nagar,” said Lily Sengupta who founded Art at Heart along with her husband Kaustav Sengupta. Lily is a subject expert on sustainability and her husband is a professor of design education at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT).
The event was volunteered by class seven students from HLC International School. They took the visitors on a visual tour of the paintings. The idea to collaborate makes room to establish a connection between children of different communities, break discrimination and promote talents. “Students from the slums drop out from schools. This is the reason we want to sponsor their scholarship. They’re taught that education alone can fight poverty and achieve equality. The paintings will be taken to Puducherry, Bengaluru and Mahabalipuram this year,” said Lily who has 20 women working under her as part of Art at Heart. They operate out of Kannagi Nagar. “
The mothers of these children are taught to make upcycled coasters and pouches for their livelihood,” said Lily. As we take a tour around the gallery, Santhosh R runs towards this reporter, holding his canvas. His painting depicts mountain slopes dotted with colourful flowers on the surface and white puffy clouds in the backdrop. Santhosh, who has been diagnosed with ADHD, is passionate about art. We are told he paints for hours without any distraction. “I want to reach the top of the mountain, enjoy the gentle breeze, and stand there for the rest of my life. For now, let us share this chocolate bar and have a wonderful day ahead,” said Santhosh with a glint of hope. The exhibition will be held at Artworld Sarala’s Art Centre till this Friday. For details, call: 24338691
The idea to collaborate makes room to establish a connection between children, break discrimination and promote talents. Lily Sengupta, founder, Art at Heart