Healing through colours on her canvas

Strap: Dr Anupama Gupta turns artist with her debut solo art exhibition

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Neha Saini

Tribune news service

Amritsar, August 25

While she struggled to get her life back on track after the tragic accident in December 2019, Dr Anupama discovered the artist in her. The doctor, who was lauded for her bravery and selfless action as she saved five lives in a highway pile up in 2019, while losing her legs in the aftermath, is now being celebrated as an artist. Unveiling a series of paintings that she made during her one and half year journey of healing her inner and outer wounds, at the art gallery, Dr Anupama seemed overwhelmed, “I still cannot believe that my paintings have been displayed and found appreciation from the people present here,” she said.

The exhibition was inaugurated by MLA Sunil Dutti and Vikramjeet Singh Duggal, the Commissioner of Police. The event also saw the launch of a coffee table book Jugalbandi, which is opened down by Dr Anupama’s husband, Dr Raman Gupta, which gives an elaborative and poetic description of Anupama’s paintings. “I was never into painting or took up any creative classes. But after my accident, as I struggled to deal with excruciating physical pain and mental trauma, my daughter Arushi, who is also a doctor, handed me a sketch book and asked me to just draw whatever came to my mind. That’s how I took my initial steps as an artist,” she shared.

Her work of art begins with miniatures made up of water colours, using metaphors that reflect her own journey of rising from her adversity. Some of the earliest paintings done by her include butterfly motifs, symbolising a power within oneself to rise above any situation and transformation. Another painting, titled ‘Free Soul’, is about longing to be free, to break out of limitations. Some of her paintings of Radha Krishna, Lord Shiva are about the spiritual strength she derived from the divine.

“Art has been like a creative meditation for me throughout my recovery. I did face some challenges early one, when I could not sit properly, to spend hours completing a painting. But eventually, it was something that I started loving and embracing,” she said.

Throughout the process, her husband, Dr Raman Gupta has remained her constant support. “When I first saw her sketches, I just loved them. I clicked a picture and posted it on my social media account with a few verses of my own. The response we received was encouraging. With Jugalbandi, the book that we have come up with, I have tried to express her creative thought process through words,” he said. About their ‘jugalbandi’ in life, Dr Raman said, “After 25 years of marriage and companionship, we have learnt to live in synchronisation.”