COIMBATORE: After a 17-year-old girl drew a picture expressing that she felt scared in the presence of family, her father organised an art exhibition in Coimbatore to raise awareness among parents about the importance of providing warmth, care and emotional support to children in home and school.
The exhibition, titled 'DRAW US 2GETHER', was held at an art gallery in the city from August 19 to 23.
Rajesh Balakrishnan (43) at RS Puram in the city, told TNIE that around 20 days ago, his daughter, Taneesa Krishnan Rajesh, a Class 12 student studying in the US, drew a picture of their family together, featuring her mother, father, brother and herself.
"In the picture, everyone, except my daughter, appears happy in a hug. My daughter looks frightened and appears to be struggling to breathe. Before seeing this, we thought we were taking good care of her. Then, I asked her why she drew the picture," he said.
"She replied that the things the family considered good were, from her point of view, different. I asked her why she had not shared this before. She said that we do everything with love and that it feels wrong to complain when we are doing things with good intentions," he said.
He further added, "She had kept her feelings and pain to herself and drawn pictures that reflected her memories and longing. There was a message behind each picture, but we took them casually until we saw the family picture."
"Apart from this, she was granted extra time to write her Class 10 examination, as per government norms, due to her learning differences. However, her friends teased her, saying that they too would score better if they were given extra time. Some even advised her not to tell others about receiving extra time, saying it could make it difficult for her to find a groom in the future. It is their lack of understanding. So, we sent her to study in the USA," he said.
"While talking about family pictures, she also questioned that if it is normal to get extra time then why people view it as a deficiency. She also said that such an instance will not happen in the US," he recalled.
"After seeing the family picture, I decided to organise an exhibition showcasing her art about the importance of providing warmth, care and emotional support and to build awareness among parents. She also wished an exhibition would be conducted," he said.
He also distributed pamphlets to parents, stating that learning differences are not deficiencies and urged parents, teachers and society to understand that the government provides equal opportunities to such students, including extra time and the use of calculators.
"The drawings highlight equality and the importance of understanding, supporting and encouraging children with learning differences, including their feelings, emotions and talents," Taneesa Krishnan Rajesh said.
