Wednesday, February 9, 2011 — The Good Times
Campaigning through Painting
Frogs, white lions, sharks are going extinct, while the mining of Coltan in the Democratic Republic of Congo is destroying the mountain gorilla’s natural habitat.
Activist and artist Anjali Chandrashekar is bringing these points to the public’s attention, using painting for environmental conservation. Art is inspirational and can make people pay attention to certain issues. Visual art teaches people to look, with intensity. Thus Anjali, a 17-year old artist from India, is using her talent to highlight important environmental problems and health issues and to inspire action. One example, the painting above, is simply called “Gorilla.”
Anjali writes that her life goal is, “to share my love for art and the world and spread a good message with my brush.” She is doing this successfully, selling her artwork to raise awareness and funds for a number of national and international organizations. She writes: “Art is a very powerful form of expression and through this medium I seek to reach out to the masses both educated as well as illiterate. … Some of the causes for which I have worked are — anti-whaling, the conservation of endangered species of animals like Westland gorillas, tigers, Olive Ridleys [sea turtles] and many more. Conservation of marine bio-diversity is another issue that I have devoted my efforts on.” Read more about Anjali Chandrashekar, her art and her accomplishments here.
