Messages in colour

Every fortnight,the Kalagram art camp invites an artist,based anywhere in India,to work on the premises,and,this time,it is Vinod Mehta,a well-known painter from Chandigarh. The two-time winner of the Hind Ratan award has created two works at the camp. “One work depicts the journey of life which becomes difficult if a person is alone,while the other focuses on the importance of a woman in a man’s life,” explains Mehta. He is working on a third painting,which explores the bond between a father and son.

“A lot of thought goes into a painting. I think that it is important to reveal our thought process to the public in order to interest them in our work,” says Mehta,whose artwork has a social theme. Mehta considers his best work to be the one on medical science,currently displayed at PGI.

Mehta’s achievements are many,including a record of sorts by painting with his fingers in 30 seconds,but it is a letter of appreciation from Dr Radhakrishnan,the second President of India,which he received at the age of 12,that remains the artist’s prized possession.

Jasmeen Saini