A local art gallery has created a visual tribute to Mother Teresa with a 10-day exhibition of paintings that explore the concepts and philosophy that inspired the well-known Indian Catholic nun and missionary of Albanian descent.
Titled The True Spirit of Service , the ongoing exhibition is being held at the Leaders Choice Art Gallery in Thillai Nagar, and features the work of Reverend Father Thambu Raj SJ, former Rector, Loyola College, Chennai, Rev Fr Arul Doss SJ, Vice-Principal, St Joseph’s College, Tiruchi, Dr Gokula, Head, Department of Zoology, National College, Eugene D’Vaz, former Head, Department of English, St Joseph’s College, S Arun, a mechanical engineer and Hermon Carduz, Director, Leaders Choice Gallery and Head, Department of French, St Joseph’s College.
“I was inspired by Mother Teresa’s simplicity. She was a great woman, a wonderful Indian and above all a good human being,” says Mr Carduz, who has contributed around 25 paintings to the show.
“Her life makes us believe that anyone can aspire to be like her … because she lived among us, in contemporary times, rather than from the past.”
Mother Teresa was canonised (recognised by the church as a saint) on September 4, 2016, and the exhibition tries to illustrate the ideas that formed the basis of her work through various techniques.
While many of the paintings rely on plain portraiture, there are others that use pop art and symbolism to convey the contemporary resonance of Mother Teresa’s ethos.
Significantly, none of the works are being put up for sale, though the organisers are open to queries from serious art collectors.
Besides the official contributors to the show, local artists are being allowed to display their paintings of Mother Teresa as well. “We have two women artists — John Bosco Mary and Abi — whose realistic portraits of the Mother are on show. We are planning to introduce new work everyday,” says Mr Carduz.
The exhibition also has a small selection of the missionary’s personal effects, and correspondence related to her beatification. Copies of a biography of anecdotes about Mother Teresa in Tamil by Dr Xavier Antony SJ, are also on sale.
The True Spirit of Service is on from 5pm to 9pm and is scheduled to end on March 20.
