Painting in times of coronavirus

Mumbai-based artist Dhruvi Acharya, known for her psychological works, initially turned to her canvas to address the stress she is undergoing after reading and hearing about the impact of the deadly Coronavirus pandemic.

When I started painting during the day of the Janta Curfew, it was just for my peace of mind – I was really stressed about the Coronavirus and what was happening around the world. We were already in self-isolation for 10 days before the lockdown started, as my son had come back from university in the USA and we were isolating ourselves as mandated. So going to the studio in my residential building helped me just spend some quiet time to sort of come to terms with what was happening," Acharya said.

She added: "Since then, I have continued to go to work daily -- and manage my home, chores and time with the boys -- and began posting the work on Instagram. It was not for any reason, so there was no pressure. But at some point I challenged myself to try make one watercolour a day, working 10-12 hours a day – it was a good way to keep stress at bay and not waste time on Netflix. It was quite exhausting but also rewarding."

Her paintings in the series "Painting in the time of Corona" will be sold and half of the proceeds will go to the Karwan-e- Mohabbat charity.

The funds "will be used to help people who are suddenly in dire need of help thanks to the lockdown and closing of small businesses – be it food, shelter for children, medication etc."

With her canvases inhabited by images of people wearing masks, self-isolating, and even connecting deeply with the animal world around them, the artist has received a heartwarming response from her social media followers. People have been calling her work a bright spot on their Instagram feed.

Chemould Prescott Road gallerist Shireen Gandhy says the decision to also put Dhruvi's work online on the gallery's handles, website and push for sale is to help Dhruvi with her cause. "Dhruvi has found in this time her solace… and it is amazing to see how beautifully she has chosen her canvas to seek refuge and make peace with chaos around the world."

"Painting In The Time Of Corona" is live with a viewing room and online on Chemould's social media handles.