Against one wall of Amethyst’s gallery, The Folly, is a riot of colour — splashes and swirls in green, blue, white, orange and black — in a row of paintings. On another wall, there is everything from a dinosaur to a peacock, all done in delicate ball point and gel pens.
The paintings and art work are part of an exhibition, ‘Expressions of Beautiful Minds,’ organised by the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF), displaying works by persons living with and recovering from schizophrenia.
If you look closely at the works of Rajesh*, he tells you that the strokes are meant to resemble stone paving. An architect, Rajesh has been living with schizophrenia for about 25 years now, since his final year of school. “I worked at a landscaping firm and a few other places for some years,” he says, but his symptoms affected his functioning and he could not hold on to his job. He completed a course in arts and sculpture, and though his symptoms persist, he is able to pursue his art.
Mahesh, another artist, is trained as one and was working, but became ill when he was 26. After treatment in various parts of the country, and having given up his art for more than 15 years, he got an opportunity for an exhibition, he says. “I knew I could do it. I did eight paintings then and later displayed some of my work in a gallery,” he says. He has several independent exhibitions to his credit. Apart from abstracts, another series of his work is doodles of animals, including a crow, a lion and a fighter rooster.
One other series was by a late professor of anatomy, another by a homemaker and one by a dancer.
“Art helps to express confusion, disorganised thinking, delusions and mood swings. It is a cathartic process and is probably also therapeutic,” says R. Thara, director, SCARF, adding that the exhibition aimed at reiterating the fact that persons with schizophrenia can be productive and lead normal lives like any other person in society.
Art critic Indran, who inaugurated the exhibition, said he had never expected the works to be so powerful. “They address creative questions. They are tranquil, poised and full of joy. They have given immense pleasure to me,” he said.
The exhibition is open to all from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. until May 25.
(*Names changed)
