Weaving dreams through art, 80 disabled artists show their work at ‘Swapnachithra’

NGO ‘Dreams of Us’ is organizing an art show at Kozhikode Art Gallery in Kerala. 150 art works of over 80 artists with disabilities are exhibited at the event that will conclude on 8 March. Through this event, organizers hope that they can bring more disabled artists to mainstream society and help them live independently.

For over 80 artists in Kerala, ‘Swapnachithra’ is a truly a special event which is very close to their hearts. An art exhibition organized by NGO ‘Dreams of Us’, ‘Swapnachithra’ which means ‘Dream art’ in Malayalam, the event showcases art works of over 80 artists with disabilities from across Kerala. The show that began on 4th will go on till 8 March at the Kozhikode Art Gallery, one of the renowned art galleries in Kerala. The team at ‘Dreams of Us’ is excited with the great response that they have been receiving for the show.

Efforts behind Swapnachithra

‘Dreams of Us’ is a Kozhikode based NGO that works for environmental causes, disabled community and also for those in need. The latest art show is the third edition of ‘Swapnachithra’. The first edition was held in December 2017 with 82 art works of 21 disabled people. The second edition was held on February 2010 with 100 art works of 50 artists. After the last successful two editions, the organizers decided to hold the latest one including more art works and artists. In the current edition, 150 art works of over 80 artists from 16 districts across Kerala are showcased.

The team at ‘Dreams of Us’ has been travelling across Kerala since the past few months to identify talents with disabilities for the show.

Rajeesh RS, Secretary, ‘Dreams of Us’, says that the team has put in a lot of effort to make ‘Swapnachithra’ a reality.

‘Dreams of Us’ has been closely working with the disabled community since past many years. So we always wanted to do something for them. We knew there were many talented people with disabilities who never had the opportunity to come out to the forefront. We wanted to identify such people. In the last two months, we travelled and interacted with many NGO’s and disabled people. It is high time that disabled people are given equal opportunities in mainstream society. – Rajeesh RS, Secretary, ‘Dreams of Us’

An exclusive art show for disabled artists

On the inaugural day, 54 works were sold. From nature to portraits, audience can expect a true visual treat at ‘Swapnachithra’. The organizers want the works to be appreciated so that the disabled artists can also earn a living and become independent.

Works of artists with various kinds of disabilities like muscular dystrophy, polio, hearing and visual impairment and intellectual disabilities are showcased at the event. The works are done mostly using pencils, acrylic colors, charcoal and water colors. They are priced from Rs 1000 and above.

All the five coordinators of the event are also disabled people. Ramya Ganesh, one of the coordinators, is a wheelchair user. “I’am a part of the NGO ‘Dreams of Us’. That is how I became the coordinator for this event. We travelled to different places in the past two months to identify talented artists. It was a great experience for me”, she says.

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