Shades of silence

A group of differently-abled artists come together to showcase their talent and passion as their canvases reflect their imagination, hopes and dreams.

Not many know that master painter Leonardo da Vinci was dyslexic. But this imperfection did not deter him from producing masterpieces like ‘The Mona Lisa’, ‘The Last Supper’ and ‘The Vitruvian Man’. A group of young artists suffering from bilateral sensor neural loss are showcasing a collection of work inspired by the day-to-day life in an exhibition organised by Korean Cultural Centre titled “Silent Voice”.

Curated by Delhi-based artist Dhaneshwar Shah, the exhibition focuses on showcasing the various mediums used by these young artists. “The focus of the exhibition is to showcase quality, variety and expression, at the same time being sensitive to the different mediums. They have used acrylic on canvas, mix-media, oil and experimental art for this show,” shares Dhaneshwar and adds, “More than sympathy, we are focusing on inspirational stories and trying to get coverage and promote these artists.”

Talking about the title ‘Silent Voice’, Dhaneshwar says, “Silence is one of the key elements to live in a society. Many a time, we communicate through silence and art acts as a perfect mode at such times. It serves as a universal language and function not only for entertainment and appreciation, but also for increasing our understanding of oneself, people and the world around us. The art fulfills the basic human need for creative self-expression. The process of creating allows the artists to explore their questions of identity and understanding.”

The exhibition aims to provide an identity to the artists in the society, shares Kim Kum Pyoung, Director, Korean Cultural Centre. He continues, “We should respect their creativity and use their silent voice for the development of our society. Some people deal with physical problems in their everyday lives that the rest of us can’t even imagine living with, and use art as a medium to communicate with the world. Art can play an important role in the progression of artist’s identity and career over time.”

Adding to the point Daneshwar says, “Differently-abled artists have to overcome several odds to pursue their dreams. The exhibition also provides them a platform to spread their wings and showcase their talent to the world.”

On display are 47 works by six talented artists exploring various subjects. While Ankur Singla uses mix-media as a medium to explore the surreal world, Vipul Mittal uses vibrant hues to spread the message of hope and Divanshu Gupta’s work is inspired by daily life.

Talking about the artists, Daneshwar says, “Each has a unique style and approach towards art. It shows that the capacity of the human spirit is unlimited, even though it may be trapped within a disabled body.”

He continues, “Ankur’s work contains a lot of surreal elements as well as elements from his dreams and fantasy world. On the other hand, Ram Raghubir Mishra’s colourful strokes speak volumes . Artist Sonal Garg uses serigraph prints and woodcut prints and mixes it with fantasy and imagination.”