Werner Dornik, a 58-year-old Austrian artist, came to India in 1977 as an 18-year-old hippie, with dreams of changing the world. But, he became disillusioned with the hippie philosophy soon. He grew weary of the Western-centric way of looking at the world. That’s when he came across the leper community in Varanasi. And, his life changed. The meeting with them impacted him so much that he wanted to bring a change into their lives through art. “These people did not even have money for their daily medication. I wanted to do something for them. Later, I decided to help them lifelong.”
After several other personal journeys, reflections and discussions with friends and well-wishers, he decided to do something concrete about this. Twelve years ago, he, along with his wife, bought a small patch of land in Chengalpattu and built the Bindu Art School. They began with around 20 students.
The students initially resisted when he built the school, recalls Dornik. “They said: ‘Sir, we cannot paint. We have not been to school.’ I told them that the pictures will come to them through meditation. In the school, we got international artists to do workshops with them. We took them to Santiniketan. The idea is to give them respect. When they see their names on papers or people appreciate them for their work, they feel dignified once again.”
But today, their works are good enough to be exhibited at The Alternative Art Gallery in Mamallapuram, under the title ‘From Pain to Paintings’. The exhibition displays around 14 framed painting and 80 unframed ones, which are done in water colours. “It is not a low-cost project. The paintings are priced between ₹2,000 and ₹30,000. Because, there is so much work that goes into it and it takes time for the students to finish one.” The oldest painter is 94 and the youngest is 35. The paintings include landscapes, people, and snippets from the everyday hustle and bustle in the fishing villages.
The students get a monthly stipend. And, at the end of the year, they are paid a portion of the money they get from selling their paintings. The intention is to not make them beg. “They used to look unwell. But, in their heart and eyes, there was so much beauty. Because, to overcome sadness, you have to become spiritual.”
Werner comes to India every four months. When he is not in the school, he is taking the art works of his students to different parts of the country. He also takes his students with him.
How has this project affected him as an artist and an individual? “It makes me happy to hear them say that they are not fighting as much as they used to. Before this, many of them were undergoing depression. Many told me that they can now sleep at night.”
Art has transformed their lives. “Twelve years ago, their personalities were so different. But now, they stand on stage and deliver speeches about how art changed their lives. From begging, they have travelled a long way,” he says.
