Mangaluru: On Sunday, Sept. 15th, more than 40 Doctors / Dentists from in and around Mangaluru will come together to participate in AALEKH, an exclusive, exemplary, and first of a kind, exhibition cum sale of their artwork at the Milgres Hall Complex Senate Hall. The exhibition will be open from 9 AM to 7 PM. Entry is free. The exhibition cum sale will be a visual treat of more than 250 paintings, sketches, and artwork under one roof for both the connoisseur and layman.
Says Dr. Errel Diaz, Professor, Department of Surgery, Fr. Muller Medical College, the prime mover behind this art exhibition cum sale, “This idea of an art exhibition by our medical and dental colleagues came to me when I attended an exhibition recently. There is so much of talent among them that I felt that we should showcase this to the public; ‘Aalekh’ will be an eye-opener for the public and we hope to make this an annual event at different locations.”
Medicine as a science is not yet perfect. Doctors who practice it, take years to learn it, and even more to practice it well. Its hard work, being on call day and night, and sometimes when it comes without matching gratefulness of patients, its very stressful. That stress often rubs off onto the patients and there begins a vicious cycle. Many of the participating doctors/dentists told me that imagining and creating art is a wonderful stress buster. The beneficiaries? both the artist and their patients. Dr. Arathi Rao, a Paediatric Dentist by profession says, “being the parent of a child with special needs is very demanding. But I take time for my hobbies. Painting is my stress buster. So I will definitely continue with this. I am also open to painting as a part-time assignment. Painting for a social cause is also in my wishlist. While painting is passion I also love crafts and cooking. But my main stress buster is my art.
Not many will imagine that the hands’ Doctors use to cut and heal, can also produce exquisite and extraordinarily creative art. Medicine is a science, albeit not an exact one, but one that is certainly not based on a vivid imagination. But art requires and thrives on a vivid imagination and skillful hands! “Art is something that makes you breathe a different kind of happiness,” they say and their happiness can only benefit the patients is what I say.
Creating art takes time and patience; and doctors or dentists for that matter really do not have that luxury, given the growing list of wellness challenges in our society. If they have family responsibilities, they are already walking a tight rope. But their passion for art conquers all and helps them make time. Dr. Megha Sadashiv, a post-graduate in Psychiatry, and a contributor to the art exhibition says, “even though Medicine is my profession, painting is my passion; my passion & love for art help me make time to paint, in spite of my hectic schedule. Once a thought enters my mind, it becomes an obsession that doesn’t go away until I put colors on the board! I’ll always pursue my painting; it is like meditation for me; it gives me peace beyond compare.”
Another participant, Dr. Shewetha Kamath, a safety physician in a Pharma Company told me that she is a mother of triplets – Veda, Mantra, and Shlok – who are 21 months old. Nowadays handling one kid is a challenge. Handling three, a job, and making time for art is superhuman. “I make time for my art after the kids are asleep. This is one hobby that gives me relaxation and helps me rejuvenate. I also try to paint in my free time; playing with colors boosts my energy.”
Dr. Caren concludes, “We have our own ways to de-stress like fitness routines, music etc and art is one such stress buster which we in the process of becoming doctors often forget or neglect, despite having the talent, the inclination and the passion for it. Through this initiative, we want to encourage the doctors and dentists to get back to such hobbies which they discontinued for whatever reason”.
I suggest we pay a visit (entry is free) to the exhibition cum sale, (mark your diaries – Sunday 15th, 2019, 9 AM to 7 PM at the Milagres Hall Complex in Mangaluru) to encourage and appreciate their work, and maybe even take a piece home – it can be healing for both of us!
