While her classmates at school and friends near her home will be doodling on a sheet of paper, 10-year-old J. Oviya will be busy colouring the walls of Anna Salai soon.
“You ask to me draw and paint anything I will be more than happy to do it. But I have a penchant for drawing insects and fruits,” she says.
Oviya is part of NalandaWay Foundation’s attempt to bring children to brighten walls of Chennai. To start with, they have created murals at Boothaperumal Street, off Anna Salai.
“I am excited to be a part of this project,” says Oviya a class V student at a city school. She wants to become a drawing teacher. Though she had been into painting since she was five, it became structured after her training at NalandaWay Foundation’s art lab.
The foundation trains underprivileged children in arts and music at its art labs in various parts in the city.
Sriram Ayer, founder of NalandaWay, says: “We will be continuing this project of painting on city walls in a phased manner over the next six months. This is to beautify some slum areas.”