Art with heart

Rupali Madan’s track record proves that she is always willing to extend a helping hand to all those less fortunate. The young artist has taught mentally challenged kids, blind kids and also a few convicts in the prison. In her upcoming art exhibition, her first solo show will begin on June 8 at the Museum Art Gallery, she will be displaying a huge art work in which the works done by mentally challenged kids of the school Jidd is juxtaposed to make an impressive sculpture.

Rupali says, “These kids have mastered the art of making beads of terracotta. And mind you, it’s not easy to make beads of similar sizes and in a perfect round with terracotta. While many perfectly normal kids can’t do it, these special kids have mastered this craft purely through hard work and dedication.” She adds, “They can also make other things out of terracotta like small Ganeshas, pen stands and many other things but I wanted to keep the work simple and hence I have used all their beads.”

The biggest work of Rupali’s exhibition is dedicated to these special kids and will be gifted to them after the exhibition ends and it will find a pride of place in their school.
The exhibition includes 20 sculptures made in wood, stone, metal wire and also fibre; and 12 paintings are based on the theme Khoj (search).

Rupali explains, “After I finished my course in art, I came across many people who have taught me a lot like the special kids, blind children, convicts in prison and many others. They have moulded my personality and I am trying to search the good that all of them have given me and have tried to portray those in my works. Also I have experimented with mediums, forms and shapes and have tried to create something new.”

Though the appeal of the work is simple they convey an important message. Before signing off, Rupali shares a nagging concern, “My appeal to people is to judge an artist based on his talent and not on the number of his public appearances.”