Werner Dornik’s journey began over three decades ago when he came to Varanasi as a long-haired hippie, and saw a person with leprosy, for the first time.
“I was shocked at the Westerners I met… sitting in ashrams and doing drugs, while outside there were poor people and people with leprosy,” says the craggy-faced Austrian artist. “I couldn’t understand — how could they ignore what was in front of them?”
In 2005, he finally had a chance to make the difference he craved when he started The Bindu Art School with social activist Padma Venkataraman at the leprosy colony in Bharatapuram, Tamil Nadu.
“We were good friends in Austria, and when I came back to India, he came to the leprosy colonies with me, and said he wanted to help,” says Padma, who has been working in leprosy rehabilitation for 15 years. “I said you’re an artist; what can you do? He said: ‘I’ll make them artists too’. And, he did.”
And, how. Since then, paintings by the students have been exhibited all over India, Europe and the U.S. Their latest collection of 30 works, ‘From Pain to Paint’ goes on display at Rhapsody in Courtyard by Marriott today, following their first-ever auction of 11 pieces on Friday night (the money raised goes towards leprosy rehabilitation).
The works created by students aged 20 to 84 are a gorgeous patchwork of brilliant colour, constructed in complex circular patterns around the solid black core — the ‘bindu’.
“The bindu is the still centre around which the whole universe revolves,” says Werner, speaking at an event organised at the hotel recently (partnering with The Bindu Art School is part of Courtyard by Marriott’s ‘Spirit to Serve’ initiative). “I was inspired by the paintings of Syed Haider Raza, who is a good friend of mine. I explained the concept to the students once I felt they were ready; the works they created are really powerful.”
As always, the income generated from the sale of the paintings will be split equally amongst the students, with 30 per cent going towards helping new entrants to the school.
“From receivers of charity, they have become social contributors; this is a very important change for them,” says Werner.
Equally important, he says, is that the works are not projected as ‘handicapped art’ but as ‘high-level art’. “It isn’t easy to exhibit the art of people with leprosy; the people are not valued, so their art is not,” he says passionately. “But, I ensured from the start that their paintings were exhibited at top venues, and today, their art is established internationally.”
This year alone, their paintings will be exhibited at Kolkata, Varanasi, Italy, Austria, and the big one, the European Parliament at Strasbourg. “We’re satisfied; doors have opened everywhere for them,” he says.
For the artists themselves, The Bindu Art School has quite literally meant a new lease of life. At the event, they spoke about their experiences, some shyly, some in impressively grandiloquent Tamil, but, all with remarkable honesty.
“I didn’t know anything about art when I began,” says Udayakumar. “But, as I learnt, I forgot about my illness — I was always thinking about my art. Every night I go to bed planning what I’ll paint tomorrow.”
For Godavari, it meant alleviation of pain of another kind. “I was suffering a lot at home, but now I’m more at peace; I don’t worry about how my family treats me anymore,” she says simply.
As for Werner, his one-man crusade against capitalism and injustice continues with his solo exhibition in March in Delhi (“I want to speak against the nonsense going on in the world”).
But, more importantly, he returns to Varanasi, where it all began, to work on his second art school for those with leprosy. “I’ve come a full circle,” he says. “I’m very happy.”
(The exhibition is on until March 7)
