Gumi Malhotra's paintings of livestock depicted a plethora of emotions ranging from purity and love to apprehension and diffidence. The sheer talent of this self-taught artist brought out the theme of 'Equivalent Emotions' in the most soul-stirring manner possible. The culmination of art and animal welfare awareness blended perfectly in this year's edition of Art Affair. The highlight being the artistry of Gumi Malhotra that captured the intricacies of animal emotions, brought to light a side of these animals that may otherwise go unnoticed.
The proper treatment of livestock is too often dismissed as inconsequential. The exhibition was held as a fundraiser for Charlie’s Animal Rescue Centre (CARE) last week at Tata Cha, Indiranagar. The event aimed to bring about awareness and a conscience that livestock too, like any other living being have a myriad of emotions which Gumi Malhotra has portrayed through her portraits in watercolours. "I have always wanted to contribute to animal welfare. Out of everything else in the world, it is the plight of animals that touches me the most," says Gumi.
Sudha Narayanan, the Founder Trustee of CARE, and all the other CARE volunteers work with animals on a daily basis and therefore able to throw light on different interpretations of the paintings. On a painting of a goat, Sudha says, "When people look at this goat, they see just a shy little goat. But to me, there is apprehension in his eyes, the fear of whether he'll be slaughtered today." To be able to empathise with animals in this manner is what Art Affair is all about.
Mandy, an animal welfare worker who volunteers at CARE says, "All my animal adoptions are done through Facebook. Social media awareness is very important since it has a huge presence." She also threw light on the issue of the breeding industries that treat animals like machines. With shelters like CARE brimming with animals waiting for a loving home, a message to every animal lover out there would be to adopt, not shop; only then will there be a stop to the cycle of buying and selling of animals. Sudha Narayanan says, "At CARE, we are open to youngsters joining us. They are full of enthusiasm and ideas." CARE offers a flexible volunteering programme, for anyone looking to dedicate a part of their time to animal welfare.
