Mumbai: For some, taking on art is about being less judgmental, for others, it is centring themselves after a stressful day at work. Meet the 52 doctors, who went beyond their world of scalpel, needle and stethoscope to bare their raw emotion and imagination on canvas with colour, palette and brush.
These doctors are now exhibiting their 450 artworks at the Art Gallery, Nehru Centre in Worli for a charitable cause.
Many of these medicos— surgeons, oncologists, anaesthetists, gynaecologists, cardiologists, and dentists— picked up painting as a stress-buster during the pandemic. The exhibition, called Doctors Art Show, which will end on November 28, is aimed at raising funds for charity.
Deepak Jadhav, the art curator, “It is a unique art exhibition, wherein we showcase a different side of a doctor. For many doctors, painting and photography are hobbies. We gave them the platform to showcase it and promote their artwork on the national level for the purpose of social cause. 10% of the proceeds from the sale of this exhibition will be donated for the education of poor children in Maharashtra.”
Dr Bhaskar, who has been taking painting lessons for the last six years, said, painting has taught her to go with the flow and to accept that everything may not be perfect but it can still be beautiful. “It taught me to be less judgmental of others. As a doctor, being less judgmental is a character trait that needs conscious cultivation. It is easy and convenient for us to constantly be on a high moral and clinical ground. Painting helped me to accept that human beings are imperfect and we need to help each other regardless of that,” she said.
Dr Bhaskar, who is a bariatric and laparoscopic surgeon, exhibited nine of her paintings that included a series of paintings on ‘women of India’ and reflections during Covid-19 times.
Dr Bhaskar, who also runs an NGO-Auro Mira Care Foundation to help the poor and needy, will use the money for her NGO.
Dr Kaushal Chhatrapati, the cardiologist, who picked up the brush during the first year of the pandemic has nineteen of his paintings on display at the exhibition.
“I am not trained in painting but during the first few months of the lockdown, I started using my daughter’s watercolours and channelising my stress and energy into painting,” he said. Dr Chhatrapati plans to donate the money collected from the exhibition to an NGO working for orphans. “I plan to start painting on canvas with acrylic. It is a great stress-buster too,” he said.
Apart from 20 doctors from Mumbai, others were from Pune, Gadchiroli, Buldhana and other parts of Maharashtra. Dr Shekhar Bhojraj, a well-known spine surgeon, is also part of the exhibition. Dr Bhojraj, who has also published two art books showcasing his art, said the proceedings will go to his spine foundation.
Dr Jatin Shah, a gynaecologist and IVF expert well-known IVF expert, who is also a passionate and avid landscape and travel photographer, displayed 25 of his photographs.
“People usually think doctors are always busy with patients. But this was a good platform to showcase the talent of the doctors and their hob who are otherwise known to be busy with patients only. It is not for monetary gain but to fulfil the passion of art and help in charity,” he said.
Dr Sonal Shah, an anaesthesiologist working in South Mumbai hospitals, has seven paintings on display. “The proceeds will go to my father-in-law’s trust to fund the medical treatment of needy patients. Painting was a hobby that I left in school and started recently,” she said.