Artist extraordinary

Life is like a mountain — fraught with steep slopes and thorns. For some, the trek to the peak is more arduous than the rest. But 37-year-old Kandala Bhaskar Veera Dhruvith, a hearing and speech-impaired artist, has broken all the bound aries to become a successful artist. CE spoke to the artist, who recently showcased his artwork for the first time at the Swadeshi exhibition in the city.

Dhruvith keeps a track of lip movements and seamlessly grasps what those around him are saying. “I have been fascinated with art since my child hood, when I’d watch my father paint on canvas. First, relatives started buying my artwork and soon, others who loved my work also started purchasing my art. I have a hands-on experience with oil painting technique and also contemporary art as well. But I am now fond of Tanjore painting. My very first Tanjore painting, of Vinayaka, was sold in Delhi,” he shares.

The gifted artist is elated about his first exhibition and how well his paintings were promoted. “Many ministers and leaders appreciated my artwork. No one even knew I am hearing and speech-impaired,” he adds.

But the road to this achievement wasn’t a smooth one, neither for Dhruvith nor his mother Lalitha, who expresses, “It used to be really difficult to see my child left alone while the other children would speak. He used to be depressed because of his problems. Even I could not understand him at first. I took him for speech therapy and started learning along with him.” The doting mother goes all out in encouraging her son in his artistic endeavours and was a pillar of support for him even when times were tougher. “Due to some reasons, he discontinued his degree. But one day, my daughter-in-law suggested that I put him in an art class. He started learning art in Balkampet under Kotla Vasuda, who appreciated his work and pushed him to become even better. It has been two years now and we even set up an Instagram page for his art called ‘Dhruvith Art Gallery’,” she states.

His art teacher, Kotla Vasuda, is all praise for her bright pupil, “At first, I thought he might not understand but he observes everything very keenly and so learned the artwork with ease.”

Dhruvith elaborates on his love for Tanjore paintings, which he took up after developing an ardent interest by watching others in his art class do it. “I have done Tanjore paintings of Vinayaka, Shiva and Parvathi. In this technique, we make our own canvas and then sketch the design on it. This art is done on a 24-carat gold paper which is very thin and we stick kundans on it. Since it is a pure gold sheet, the artwork costs a lot too. I am currently working on a painting of Nandi and will soon do Tanjore paintings of other gods as well,” he reveals.

But Lalitha feels an unparalleled sense of pride and says, “He can drive and do things on his own. People made fun of him but still he broke all the barriers and concentrated on the things that he liked. And now, he has become an expert in his artwork. I am really happy that he can stand on his own feet and make a living for himself.”

Indeed, Dhruvith’s story is an inspiration for us all and a lesson to always be confident and give our all to what we are passionate about.

Story by Shreya Veronica