For whom the bell tolls....

I was invited to inaugurate a wonderful exhibition of childrens art today, done by the school children of Navrachana School in Baroda; and I have come away so delighted to have witnessed the energies of creative endeavour, and perhaps more importantly, the absolute magic of innocence that the work held at its core.

I still have kept my favourite works of Mithun done when he was a child, and though not framed, they are carefully kept in a portfolio along with my own art works, as they are extremely precious to me. I will not deny that sentiment plays a major role with this safe keeping; but what is more relevant is that child art holds such poignantly honest methods of communication which posses the ability to translate effortlessly.

I always urge art students from colleges and practicing artists too, to take time to view events such as these. Today surrounded by these beautiful children of varying ages, I felt so empowered to know that good educational institutions understand the value of developing the creative faculties of growing minds.

We need more teachers who will not create hierarchies that place the science subjects at the top of the order of merit and make learning a holistic experience to which children can adapt their potential abilities to; allowing them therefore to find the correct path to engage their future developmental processes with.

Standing in the corridor of the school with my old friend Tejal Amin who is the director of this institution, and as the school bell rang to indicate the termination of the days timetable, we were both transported back to the nostalgia of our own school days as we stood wrapped in the delight of excited voices, laughter and endless energy of hundreds of school children who carry the dreams of our tomorrow along with their bright futures.

Back in my studio I feel blessed to have had this interlude with innocence, because like the first monsoon rains such interludes help wash away the fatigue of confronting the endless battles with systems that choose to be corrupted.