KARACHI: A one-day exhibition of paintings made by children with disabilities titled Meri Dunia Ke Rung at the Sanat Art Gallery on Saturday pleasantly surprised art lovers. The artworks put on display tackled a variety of subjects in a style that could be defined as delightfully innocent.

The event was organised by NOWPDP in collaboration with the gallery. According to the organisers, the children’s names could not be given away because they’re looked after by art therapy practitioners, and in art therapy it’s not deemed right to reveal their identity. The age group of the kids who participated in the show was between 10 and 15 years, whereas their mental age varied (between two and six years). Remarkably, all the paintings and drawings were made by the children themselves, and the therapists accompanied them only to interpret their artworks.

The first piece on view was testimony enough of the child’s prodigious talent. It was splashed with colours and there was a fair degree of abstraction to it, though one could make out the realism that the young artist was/is trying to come to terms with.

Then there was the obvious theme of flowers. Children and flowers are synonymous. The way a couple of children tried to draw the flowers gives the impression as if they didn’t need to undergo any therapy: they were born to do this. The lines and the vibrancy of the colours gave off a beautiful vibe that the viewer didn’t want to move away from.

Another thing that children often get attracted to is water and boats. So there was a delectable exhibit in which the child had used dark blue and orange colours to depict water and boats. It lent a semi-surreal touch to the scenery.

One hopes that the children keep creating such astounding art.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2017