Doctors display their art at Chitrakala Parishath

In an initiative to merge the world of medicine and art, doctors from a myriad of specialities have been showcasing their artistic talents at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Kumara Krupa Road.

Currently, artworks by 76 doctors from across the country are on display at the cultural space.

Called ‘Drs’ @ Art’, this is the fourth edition of the exhibition organised by Sameeksha, a city-based non-profit. It is on till July 9. The first edition was organised in 2017, and featured fewer doctors. 

The art exhibition seeks to portray the connection between medical healing and healing that comes from pursuing creative endeavours. It features expressive landscapes that contrast the everyday bustle of the hospital, evocative portraits that capture the human anatomy, and artworks using X-rays and medical instruments. 

“The exhibition has provided a space for many doctors who have been passionately painting for more than 25 years to display their work,” says Mantappa G Kulkarni, founder of Sameeksha. The idea of art and medicine going hand in hand has existed since master painters such as Leonardo da Vinci dissected and studied the human body to understand anatomy more precisely. Dr Rudraprasad MS, associate professor at Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health says, “Art is innate in every human being and is most necessary to keep the mind active.” Currently, two of his landcape paintings are on display at Chitrakala Parishath. 

Dr Madhavi Ravindra, a city-based pediatric anesthesiologist, who recently exhibited her wildlife photographs says, “The patience, focus and steady hands that the medical field requires runs parallel with the art of photography, recognising bird calls or even capturing the right moments.” She has been pursuing the hobby passionately for the past 10 years. The photography exhibition — which took place on June 1 — featured art by four Bengaluru doctors and raised funds for children with  brittle bone disease.

However, doctors have not only been moonlighting as artists for therapeutic benefits but also to share their experiences with patients. The paintings are filled with emotion, inviting the public behind the scenes to the psychological and emotional aspects of the medical profession. The paintings have taken conceptual ideas from the fields of pediatrics to oncology. Reflecting on the exhibition’s significance, Dr Rudraprasad says, “After losing touch with the art form as a child, I returned to it later in life when I felt like I had almost no time for it but I realised it filled a void within me.”

In the recent years, Mantappa has seen an increase in demand among doctors across the country for more platforms to exhibit their artwork. “After the success of the first exhibition, we have had more than a hundred doctors reach out to collaborate with Sameeksha. The crowd has also been steadily increasing and most of the works get sold during the exhibitions,” he states.

‘Drs’ @ Art’, on till July 9, 11 am to
7 pm, at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Kumara Krupa Road.