At a time when attacks on women and children are increasing day-by-day, who better than a girl herself to have a say on the issue.
Dilna Sherin, an 18-year-old artist from Manjeri in Malappuram, has attempted to give voice to her angst through a painting exhibition titled 'Art of The Heart'.
The exhibition, currently on at the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi art gallery in the city, features 60 paintings which depict the distress experienced by women due to different causes, mainly due to violence by men. What one sees while walking through the gallery corridor is an exact and an almost accurate timeline of women's life in India, the transition from the good old days to the dreadful today.
"This exhibition is dedicated to Asifa, the victim of the Kathua incident. Women and children are the ones who mainly experience the ill-effects of war, liquor and drugs. People think women and children are meant to be attacked and exploited. Even Kerala which boasts of a high literacy rate is in the clutches of demons who feed on female flesh," she said.
This is Dilna's 13th exhibition and the first one in Kozhikode. It was inaugurated on Wednesday by Uma Behera, Vigilance SP, Kozhikode. The exhibition, being held from 11 am to 7 pm, will conclude on Sunday.
Dilna's first exhibition was at the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi, Malappuram. The young artist, who started painting when she was in class eight, has also hosted exhibitions for Child Line.
Dilna has won the Kala Sreshta award instituted by 'Theruvoram' and the World Innervision Charity award. According to the artist, the exhibition comes straight from her heart. The exhibition wall warns the onlookers. 'If you want to rape someone's sister, just think about your sister. Someone is waiting for your her'.
