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| Indiabuildnet --The Complete Resource of the Building Industry |
Ms. SHEELA
COLOURS OF VICTORY --
An Article that appeared in India Today on 15th december 1997. A young girl overcomes physical disabilities to paint a bright future for herself . By Subhash Mishra. |
EVERYONE PAINTS HIS OWN FUTURE--They say. Sheela would agree. After all, Sheela, an artist in her mid-20’s is a confident woman, not only earning a living for herself but also looking after her family. Her tale is a definition of determination.
She was only 4 years old when she lost both her hands in a train accident near her village in Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh. As a child, she saw her friends go to school, scribble in their notebooks and draw houses and flowers. She began to imitate them. Except that, with no hands, she had to first learn to work with pencil held between her toes. Seeing her perseverance, her father got her admitted to the local primary school. That was the impetus the physically disabled girl needed to make a mark in life. Today, Sheela is one of the better known painters at the National Lalit Kala Kendra in Lucknow. After completing her intermediate education, the enterprising girl earned a Bachelor in Fine Arts degree and then decided to take up painting as a career at the Kendra.
People gawk at her as she sits down to paint, non-chalantly adjusting a brush between her toes of he left foot. And a trifle self-consciously, she says, "For me, this makes no difference .In the childhood, I used to hold a pencil with my toes. Now it is a brush. That’s all " But that is not all. The brush cannot stop painting. Sheela is the eldest of five children in a poor factory worker’s family.Her mother died in the same accident that cost her, hands and so she is responsible for bringing up her siblings too. This is a big burden for the physically disabled girl, but used to hardship, she does not complain. “I vowed to become an artist when I grew up.” She smiles. “This was a big challenge for me. Hard work and determination brought me here and, in the process, I often forgot that I had handicap. Now it makes no difference.”
For all her exemplary courage, Sheela has not received the sort of support she deserves from the government. All she gets is a national scholarship of Rs.1500 per month. In addition, former Uttar Pradesh governor Motilal Vora has arranged a monthly stipend of Rs.1000 through Sahyog, a charitable institute which looks after the welfare of physically disabled people. This is not a princely sum by any standard. “ I primarily depend upon sales of my paintings to assist my family, ” says Sheela. Her canvasses fetch around Rs.4,000 each but there are no regular buyers. There are times when the brave artist worries about the possibility of patrons deserting her completely. But she remains undefeated "If God ha deprived me of my hands atleast He has given me two legs" Sheela has participated in many state level art exhibitions, equally at ease with both the mediums, oil and water colour. “Wherever she goes, Sheela draws applause and often ends up a the star of the exhibition.” says her friend, Azad Sonakar. But one ambition remains unfulfilled. “Being a professional artist. I would like very much to win a national award. “ says Sheela. Her paintings are predominantly about women, Mother and Child, Samyog and Proda (Old Woman) are some of her finest. In these, she has cleverly combined her own perceptions with those of women in general. In making women the central subject of her paintings Sheela vicariously shares in the pains and pleasures of an often-misunderstood gender. “Women need encouragement, not pity or sympathy.” asserts the artist. She extends this feeling to her own life and declares with some heat, “I hate to be seen as a pitiable creature, especially when I have proved myself by fighting against terrifying odds.”
A difficult past behind her, she considers the future with optimism. “ A job would be fine. “ she says , “but not at the cost of paintings.” For the moment, she is busy preparing for a solo exhibition next year. For some, she is just a freak. But, against all odds, she has settled down to use the bright colours that express her victory over nature and destiny.
Check out her Awards and Achievement |
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