Motivational strokes

It was during performing a somersault that was a part of a gymnastic event in 1972 that an unfortunate injury left Kohli paralysed below his neck. “I was hospitalised in Belgaum. I remember,I used to keep crying continuously thinking about my disability and dark future. That’s when some motivational words from one of the doctors in the hospital worked like magic and I felt re-energised,” recalls Kohli.

What is most remarkable about Kohli is the fact that he was never into painting and neither did he pursue any professional training before or post the accident. While in the hospital,he started sketching with pencil,then moved on to painting greeting cards and gradually picked up mediums like watercolour,acrylic,ink and oil paints. In the year 1978,he made his first large size (1 ft X 1.5ft) painting of Lord Shiva and Parvati. “Since I paint with mouth,I find oil paints as the most convenient mode of painting,” he adds. However his all-time favourite subject for painting are flowers.

Though 17 large paintings by Kohli are on display at the exhibition,they aren’t up for sale. “I paint for myself and to keep myself motivated. These paintings are very precious to me as I have put my heart and soul into them and I cannot part from them,” he explains.

Kohli is also a member of the Association of Mouth and Foot painting Artists,Liechtenstein,Europe. Uptil now he has made around 10,000 greeting cards in different sizes and shapes under this association. These cards are sold in places like USA,Denmark,West Germany,England,Italy,France,Singapore and so on.

Besides painting,he is also very fond of letter-writing. He says,“Earlier I used to write around two to three letters in a day to my friends. But ever-since mobile phones have come into existence,I hardly write.”

(The exhibition is on from June 1 to 21 at Bliss Art Gallery,Koregaon Park,9 am to 6 pm)