Artists bring to life stories of failing health and recovery on canvas | Mumbai news

MUMBAI: One of the many revelations that evolution in medical education has brought upon scientists and medical professionals is the role of the arts in improving the health and well-being of an individual. A 2019 report by the World Health Organisation identified “the contribution of the arts in promoting good health and health equity, preventing illness and treating acute and chronic conditions across the life-course”.

Beyond this, with doctors realising that the body cannot be studied in isolation, “with emotional health being intrinsic to the big picture”, Dr Ami Shah, a marketing professional, and Dr Rajiv Kovil, a general physician who runs his private practice Dr Kovil’s Diabetes Care Centre, in Mumbai, founded an initiative Rang de Neela, in 2022, to spread the word about the role of art in nurturing health. After two years, as part of their efforts to promote healing and wellbeing, they are presenting an exhibition ‘Art for Health’, which opened at the Jehangir Art Gallery on Tuesday.

Forty-five canvases are on display, each telling the story of unique battles that people with critical ailments have fought with courage. Their experiences, along with those of their doctors and caregivers were narrated to young artists who have translated their journeys on striking canvases.

“Through these works we wanted to share stories that give hope to people dealing with health crises, celebrate the role of the caretakers, who are mostly women, and subtly improve health literacy,” said Shah.

‘The Boy Who Lived’, by Rahul Pawar, a student of the Sir JJ School of Art, is a distinctive image in green and brown, with textural details spotting the canvas. A man is seen lying in bed surrounded by three women, each offering him a kidney. It’s a visual representation of the story of Vilas Gupta, who was diagnosed with kidney ailments in 2012, and given his subsequent aggravated condition, has since undergone three kidney transplants — the first from his mother, second his grandmother and the third from one of his sisters. “I have incredible luck that not only was everyone in my family ready to donate a kidney, they were all also matches,” said Gupta.

The story of unwavering familial love is also laced with devastation. Gupta had to sell his house and the general store he owned, to meet medical costs. Soon, conflicts arose between him and his wife about their future, and the couple divorced. His father had passed away years before. The stress of how he would manage to survive led him to clinical depression. “Dialysis does not completely cure the kidney disease, but rehabilitates them,” said Gupta’s physician Dr Hemal Shah. “As complications occur, keeping them motivated is as important as giving them medical care.” Today, Gupta is on the road to recovery and is gradually emerging from his depression as well.

The gallery is filled with such stories of resilience, hope and wonder. When Gayatri Heble, a homemaker, found herself hitting a “low phase” for a protracted time, she turned to a doctor. Tests signalled abnormalities, and she was diagnosed with leukemia. “There was much fear, but I have a supportive family,” said Heble. “After the treatment, it was almost as if I got a fresh lease of life. Through my recovery, my family ensured that we laughed a lot and kept our focus on practical things. We watched crazy shows and stayed close together.”

Heble’s story is represented in a work titled ‘Light and Shadow’ by brothers Rohan and Roshan Anvekar, both students of JJ, depicting a caged woman, supported by her husband and driven by time, which marches on. The figures are surrounded by monkey motifs seen clanging metal together, representing unsolicited advice from people, and lined with a pink hue in the centre, symbolising the hope that the family and the medical team offered the patient.

“Heble’s condition was quite life-threatening. Her recovery will be a guiding light for others,” said her physician Dr Sanjay Arora. “I believe health outcomes are not only somatic but have a psychosomatic aspect as well.”

Feeling the transformative power of art has been a lived experience of another former patient, Fenil Shah, whose story is painted in green and red hues by artist Ashwin Khapare. On an ordinary day, Fenil, a fashion designer and art teacher, was at a work meeting, when he was suddenly overcome by a 12-second seizure. His neurologist, Padma Shri awardee Dr Sudhir Shah, who runs his clinic in Ahmedabad and is director of Neurosciences at Sterling Hospital, guided Fenil through epilepsy. Instead of spiralling out of control, Fenil started medication, improved his diet, ensured he got enough sleep and made it a point to reduce stress. He had a second seizure about eight months after his first diagnosis, and thus far, that’s been his last. “The most important thing is to know your limits. Don’t over exert yourself and control stress,” said Fenil.

Fenil’s deep love to spread art among his students struck a chord with his doctor, who chose to narrate the story to Khapare, represented in the work titled ‘Transient Trails’. “Be it epilepsy or dementia – we use art as a form of therapy to treat such disorders, and get amazing results. My Parkinson’s patients participate in dance and music therapy. What started around two decades ago is today considered a standard form of therapy. Epileptic patients have more capacity for art than others, as their brains are wired that way,” said Dr Shah.

(‘Art for Health’ will be exhibited at the Jehangir Art Gallery till January 13.)