When vision merges with imagination

It would be a different experience for any viewer whoever is going to step in to Kalakriti Art Gallery this weekend as the left side of the exhibition room showcases the vision and voyage of a great man in world history, it shows the value of his legacy.

With a collection of black-white pictures on the historical journey of former US President John F Kennedy on the occasion of 50th anniversary of his assassination, the U S Consulate General in Hyderabad conducted an painting and photography exhibition to celebrate the man’s lasting legacy.

The set of 25 best paintings were done by students (aged 10 to 12) from five different schools of the city - Jain Heritage Cambridge School, Silver Rocks School, Hyderabad Public School, Indus International School, and Mount Mercy School.

The evening was graced by Michael C Mullins, Consul General, US Consulate General in Hyderabad, who spoke about the day of the president’s assassination and how the nation was in a state of shock when they heard the news. He also encouraged the students who have participated in the competition with his regards.

All the paintings were Kennedy’s vision on canvas as he was a believer of peace and equality in society to build a strong nation. But the most exciting part of the evening was the announcement of the final result that children were eagerly waiting to hear.

The names of the winners were second runners up Pranel Reddy, first runners up V Krithin and the grand winner K Harini Reddy. All the participants expressed their joy as their art work would be on display in the US Consulate office.

“It is a proud moment for me, I win!” said Pranel Reddy from Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet who established the peace believer Kennedy in his painting. “See, this white pigeon, and red rose are the symbol of love and peace. And I put the globe to show its global approach.

Of course my teacher helped me to learn about Kennedy. I would like to thank her too,” shared the class V student who started painting two years ago. When K Harini Reddy, a student of class VI from Silver Rock School portrayed the duties of a responsible citizen in her painting, V Krithin showed the importance of ‘equality under the law’ with the reference to the epic ‘Mahabharata’.

The different horses of the chariot depict various class, cast, community of our society that are controlled and equally treated by Krishna and Arjun who are euphemism for our legal and judicial system,” explained Krithin.

“I was very impressed by the concept he wanted work on,” said Aarti Katariya, the principle of Jain Heritage Cambridge School. “So we sit together and helped him to execute his thought on painting,” she added. “I feel happy to help my friends, planting trees; I have learnt not to waste water. I put all these in my painting as I know these are the duty of a good and responsible citizen,” shared Harini.

Aarti concluded, “ Art is an important part for a child’s mental growth. So any art form should be there in their curriculum that should be encouraged by parents and teachers.”