KOCHI: As Malayali athletes are making their mark at the Asian Games, a Class 10 student from Keralam is also basking in quiet glory. With a painting that’s on display in Nagoya.
Fifteen minutes was all Jyothika S needed. At an Asian Games ‘Fun-Run’ venue in Thiruvananthapuram, she sat down with a blank sheet and started painting on the theme ‘Sports, Harmony and Peace’. She had no idea then that those quick strokes would travel to Japan.
Jyothika’s painting, selected from around 1,500 entries in India, is now on display near the media centre in Nagoya, alongside works chosen from the 23 Asian countries that hosted the Games’ promotional Fun-Run, says an Indian Olympic Association official. The paintings could later become part of the Asian Games Museum collection.
Jyothika’s painting was selected by the Kerala Olympic Association (KOA) and subsequently picked by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) for exhibition in Japan.
“This time, India was selected by the OCA to host the customary Fun-Run. The IOA chose Thiruvananthapuram as the venue,” says Keerthi K S, administrator of the KOA.
“Several activities were organised, including school visits by Games mascot Honohon. The OCA officials, who attended the events here, wanted to exhibit Jyothika’s painting in Japan. Her painting stood out for its quick, simple interpretation of the theme given.”
For Jyothika, a student at Karthika Thirunal GVHSS in Manacaud, there was little ceremony to it. “The topic was given at the venue. I thought about it for 15 minutes and then started painting,” she says.
Her mother, Sheeba Jyothi, says Jyothika’s interest in art began in kindergarten, when she would sketch Barbie dolls. A teacher noticed her ability and encouraged the family to support her, but Jyothika never underwent any formal training for painting.
Sheeba adds that Jyothika had almost missed the Fun-Run competition. “She initially refused to go because she had an exam the next day. Later, she changed her mind and reached the venue after the competition had already begun,” says Sheeba.
“She was not given any extra time. However, when the results were announced, she came first.”
Jyothika has won prizes in several competitions, including a Diary Development Board painting contest and one marking the 150th anniversary of the Kerala Secretariat.
Art is not her only passion. “I love badminton and skating. My time with the NCC has made me interested in a career in the Armed Forces. I hope I can keep all these interests together,” says Jyothika, who is preparing for her Class 10 exams and hopes to pursue humanities.
