Roundabout | Pallavi’s art speaks out, overcoming her silence

Resilience, courage and a never-say-die spirit from her family and friends, as well as exceptional talent in fine arts, have brought 28-year-old Pallavi to the forefront in the city, making her one of the rising stars of visual arts

Resilience, courage and a never-say-die spirit from her family and friends, as well as exceptional talent in fine arts, have brought 28-year-old Pallavi to the forefront in the city, making her one of the rising stars of visual arts. The story of this little girl began in Rama Mandi, Talwandi Sabo, near Bathinda, on June 5, 1998, to proud parents Rattan Kumar and Parveen Bala and an older doting sister named Ankita. They looked in delight at the pretty little girl with chiselled features and bright eyes. There were no baby-boy chasers; they were happy that their family was now complete.

Pallavi with her paintings.

Looking back, the mother recalls that for six or seven months they had no idea that the child was lacking in any way, but she adds, “However, what worried me a little was her excessive howling and crying, so we took her to a leading hospital in Ludhiana for a check-up. It was there that we found that all was not well with her hearing and speaking abilities.”

After that, the mother travelled daily for six months from Bathinda, where her husband worked in a government job, to Ludhiana for treatment. It was only after they were told that the malady had no cure that the family started worrying about her future and education. Her father Rattan Kumar says: “We shared the worry with my sister and brother-in-law, who had a gold jewellery business in Panchkula. They advised me that I should give up my government job and move to the tricity to join their business so that the child could get medical facilities and opportunities to lead a better life. It was a hard decision, but we took it because nothing was too great for our child’s well-being to keep us going!”

While the father earned for the family, Pallavi’s mother and older sister took it upon themselves to learn sign language.

A new beginning

The family moved to a new environment and worked together as a team to make life better for Pallavi, with her seven-year-older sister helping the mother to ensure that her kid sister overcame the problems that life had dealt her. The road was not easy, but the dream of a better future for their little darling kept them going. While the father rose in his work, raising the family’s standard of living, the mother and sister took it upon themselves to learn sign language, which has its own grammar and structure, separate from spoken language.

With this began the communication skills of little Pallavi, and the child who had wept as a little baby now learned to smile, grow and communicate with her dear ones. She was a quick learner, and when the time came to join school, the happy girl passed the entrance test of a regular school and passed out from Government Model School, Sector 20, Panchkula, with distinction.

When the time came for higher education, the parents learned that the Chandigarh College of Art offered a special course in different fields of art for differently enabled students, and Pallavi made it on merit, choosing painting as her field of creativity.

College brings friends & conviction

Life in college brought friends into Pallavi’s life, as well as colours and the conviction that she was now ready to face the world on her own and overcome what had once seemed difficult. The pretty girl soon became a favourite all around, and soon she was driving her own car with confidence from Panchkula to the college in Chandigarh’s Sector 9, in the beautiful neighbourhood of the Leisure Valley.

Soon, she was well-liked by the teachers and college mates alike for her good nature, talent and never-say-die attitude towards any problem that came her way. Pallavi passed out from her alma mater in 2012 and continued to pursue her art, although she was a little saddened that there was a difference in the diploma given to specially enabled students, while regular students received a degree. This made finding a job difficult for them, even though they had the requisite training and excellence.

Her paintings find collectors

In nurturing specially enabled painters, a remarkable role was played by Bheem Malhotra, chairperson of the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Academy. He introduced an annual exhibition of works exclusively by them some three years ago. Looking back, he says, “This has been a most satisfying endeavour, with young painters coming forward to create some very good art, overcoming the problems they faced. There is a young artist who paints with her toes and does a remarkable job, among many others who have found different ways of expressing their creative urge.”

Pallavi, however, Malhotra places in a special league, saying, “She is one of those who has exceptional talent, and although she has long wanted to be a teacher of art, there are greener pastures awaiting her.”

This was confirmed at the exhibition titled ‘Voices of Resilience’, which featured the works of specially enabled artists and was greatly appreciated by viewers. However, two of Pallavi’s works left two elite collectors overjoyed, as they acquired them at high prices, surprising even her own family. One of the buyers was a woman from the Indian Embassy in the US and the second was a well-known gallery owner.

The endearing aspect of her art is that she includes her own image at the heart of her works, from ‘Monsoon Melodies’ to ‘Book Nook’. Atta Pallavi, wield your brush and carry on with your art, which the world awaits eagerly.

nirudutt@gmail.com