Watch out for these 10 artists with disabilities

Civil Society News, New Delhi

Art comes from within. The eyes of the soul make sense of the world. Every artist is therefore special. But what about people with disabilities? Do their limitations give them creative capacities others can’t even imagine?

In a special section, Civil Society brings to its readers 10 artists with disabilities and their work in the belief that these are exceptional canvases unique in style, conception and skill. Some of these artists are trained and some are self-taught. All of them overcome challenges to make themselves visible.

Each year, Preeti Johar of the Family of Disabled holds an elaborately curated exhibition of such works in a heart-felt salutation to the creativity that goes into their making. The exhibition is called Beyond Limits and carries on the work of Preeti’s remarkable father, Rajinder Johar, who suffered from quadriplegia after an accident and founded Family of Disabled to help people with disabilities.

Civil Society has been a regular at the exhibition and in this special section for our anniversary issue we invite you to share in this joy with us. If you feel like buying any of these artists’ works or getting in touch with Preeti, please log in to www.familyofdisabled.org

 

Master of the miniature

Ajay Kumar Garg

A miniatures artist, 51-year-old Ajay Kumar Garg paints with a single-hair brush and a magnifying lens. Miniature painting is an old Indian tradition. The outstanding feature of such art is intricate brushwork and use of natural colours. Artists painted religious and spiritual themes or the royal court.

Garg’s miniatures are more contemporary. His recent work depicting Lord Ganesha in current settings — in an auto-rickshaw, reading the newspaper — are very popular.

At the age of five, Garg’s talent was recognized by Shri Sualal, a court artist from the Royal Court of Dholpur, in Rajasthan. At 14, he worked with well-known artist Asha Devi who introduced him to the art of miniature painting.

Garg has formal training in miniature painting. He has showcased his work at several art exhibitions in Karnataka, Mumbai, the US, UK and Mexico. He has also received accolades for his skill.

Garg suffered permanent hearing impairment due to medical negligence when he was three years old. He lives in Jaipur and trains hearing impaired children and those living in orphanages.

 

Scenes from the street

G. Prabhakar

It’s the routine everyday activities of people that G. Prabhakar turns into extraordinary images. His style comprises a blend of pastel colours and brush strokes that lend a fine colour-pencil illusion to his paintings.

Prabhakar’s medium of art is oil paint. His paintings depict household scenes, roadside activities, human moods and expressions in the liveliest manner — a girl buying flowers, people playing chess, a vintage car. His work evokes memories of the innocent days of childhood. Family is inspired by his observation of local villagers and their children.

Mundane everyday activities seem to find meaning and expression in his paintings. Each is filled with the activities of children, women and men in a harmony of colours in typical Indian settings.

Prabhakar’s work exudes a unique flavour owing to his distinctive style.  He has displayed his art in many solo exhibitions in New York and Chennai.

At 83, Prabhakar, who has a speech and hearing impairment, continues to wield his brush. He lives in Chennai. He earned a Bachelor in Fine Arts from the College of Arts and Crafts in Chennai and the Brooklyn Museum Art School, New York.

 

Money and all it can buy

Deepali Sharma

Deepali Sharma’s canvases are a riot of vivid colours and quirky faces. One painting depicts an aggressive male face symptomatic of the times we live in, another a benign elderly holy man with crooked teeth, and a third a sadhu blowing a conch shell immersed in water with pretty fish floating past.

 Sharma is a 33-year-old artist who lives in Jaipur. She was born with deafness. At the age of 19, she underwent cochlear implant surgery, which improved her hearing and speech ability. She has a Bachelor of Visual Arts (Painting) from the International College for Girls, and a Master of Visual Arts (Painting) with a silver medal from IIS University. She underwent another cochlear implant surgery in the other ear to aid listening, making it much easier for her to communicate.

Sharma has been a part of solo and group shows across India and internationally. Her work, Money Money, which was on display at the Beyond Limits exhibition by Family of Disabled (FOD), shows human greed for materialistic pleasures and all that money can buy.

 

Colours that catch the eye

Arveend Budh Singh

Arveend Budh Singh is a self-taught artist who uses a mix of mediums like oil paint, acrylic and watercolour, and different painting techniques. He paints beautiful images on religious themes and social issues using rich colours to catch the eye. Budh Singh’s paintings are known for their grandeur and artistic excellence.

He has, on his own, mastered the language of painting. He is well-known for his beautiful images of Lord Ganesha in different sizes but he also uses his art to address social issues such as the plight of women in a patriarchal society. He depicts these issues in a subtle, yet powerful manner. His art is not overbearing but quietly persuasive.

His contemporary work, Dhara-2, shows a young woman with shackles yearning to break free. The painting is acrylic on canvas. His paintings use vibrant colours and detailed brush strokes to create life-like yet abstract images.

Budh Singh lives in New Delhi, where he teaches at the Okhla Centre Special School for children with special needs and exhibits works. Afflicted with polio, he has had a love for painting from a very early age.

 

 

Sign language imitates life

B. Manasi

Manasi Bhallamudi’s paintings are suffused with the twin themes of religion and spirituality. A Chennai-based painter, she uses acrylic, watercolour, pen, paper and charcoal. Her work, Sarnam, is about Buddhism advising people to choose peace over chaos.

Her Signs in Life series shows how sign language imitates real life. Her art is focused on representing disability but also shows her growing spiritual inclination.

She uses her knowledge of colour mixing and composition techniques effectively.

Manasi, 31, has speech and hearing impairment. She has a Bachelor in Visual Arts  from Stella Maris College, Chennai, and a postgraduate diploma in painting from Chitra Kala Parishad College of Fine Arts, Bengaluru.

She has sold more than 50 paintings and showcased her work at Chitra Sante in Benguluru. She has also participated in the annual Beyond Limits exhibition in
New Delhi.

 

A dive into the metaphysical

Mandeep Singh Manu

A teacher of computer science in Amritsar, 41-year-old Mandeep Singh Manu’s work focuses on metaphysical and mystical elements. As a child he got interested in computer graphics and began practising it in a playful way. His family was surprised that a boy who could not draw a single line could make pictures that conveyed insight and depth. His grandfather then bought him a computer which set Manu on his art journey.

He creates digital art on religious and spiritual themes and explores the idea of love. Manu’s digital art works include Love-I and Love-II, both of have been displayed at the Beyond Limits exhibition. One of Manu’s works was featured in the exhibition held during the Olympics in Beijing.

Manu, who has cerebral palsy, has a postgraduate diploma in multimedia from the Punjab Technical University and a degree in history from IGNOU. He says he has always been interested in digital art and computers. He has exhibited his work at the National Exhibition organized by Lalit Kala Akademi and held workshops in digital art. Manu says it is virtual reality which gave him a career.

 

Nature in its beautiful hues

Pranav Aggarwal

Pranav Aggarwal is just 10 years old and the youngest artist around. He paints cheerful and vibrant pictures with nature as his theme. Leaves, flowers, meadows and butterflies catch his fancy and fuel his inspiration.

His paintings radiate positivity and are full of life. The artist from Gurugram finds the use of brushes boring and instead uses his fingers, a painting knife, and items he finds around him. He works with acrylic in bright tones.

Aggarwal was diagnosed with Down’s syndrome when he was seven days old. He was introduced to watercolour and acrylic when he was six. He has already held two solo exhibitions and participated in a number of international and national shows. His work, Titli, was recently bought by Shree Yash Art Gallery in New Delhi.

 

Many shades of wildlife

Imamuddin Fayaz Ud Din Quazi

One of India’s most talented and sought-after wildlife artists, Imamuddin  Fayaz Ud Din Quazi started his career painting signboards in Rajasthan.

His paintings are detailed, intricate and textured. They look like photographs.

Quazi paints realistic scenes of India’s wonderful wildlife and beautiful forests. Most of his paintings feature animals. He is best known for his paintings depicting tigers in forests and grasslands as well as gentle animals like the deer.  Quazi also does detailed miniatures and life-like paintings. Each stroke of his brush is visible in his paintings. He uses poster paint on silk.

Quazi, 58, studied at the Ranthambore School of Art. He has showcased his work in multiple exhibitions in various parts of the country. He has a speech and hearing impairment and lives in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan.

 

Questioning social norms

Niyaz Hussain

Niyaz Hussain uses ink on paper as his main medium, specifically ball-point pens. His artworks are layered and nuanced. Detailing is his strength.

His work questions conservative trends and societal structures. Rider is a satire on society and politics.Hussain has also created a 15-foot-tall painting. He cites Salvador Dali and Madhubani art as his inspiration.

Hussain sells three or four paintings each year, with his first sale taking place in 2011. He is an award-winning artist with over 500 paintings and installations.

Hussain, 31, has a Bachelor in Fine Arts (Painting) from Jamia Millia Islamia. He had polio in both legs at the age of two, which made his family move from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi for better healthcare. Hussain runs the Maqaam Foundation which works to provide education and introduce slum children to art.

 

 

A classical, serene style

Shreekant Dubey

After his right arm was amputated above the elbow, Shreekant Dubey trained himself to paint with his left hand. His is a classical style of painting consisting of clean, uniform images with an ethereal quality. Dubey’s use of high-contrast earthy colours makes his subjects stand out strongly.

He uses shapes in unique ways. His art is usually on religious themes but with a modern and classic quality. His images are extremely serene. His work depicts simple moods of everyday life. Dubey uses different mediums like oil paints, watercolour and acrylic with ease.

Dubey, 53, is a teacher in New Delhi. He has a Master in Fine Arts from Kanpur University. He has displayed his art at many national and international exhibitions, including the Lalit Kala Akademi’s International Kala Mela and Family of Disabled’s Beyond Limits exhibition.