Swasti Gallery: Healing cancer patients with art

Bengaluru: Bengaluru witnessed a three-day photo exhibition at Swasti Art Gallery from Vismaya Collection and the artworks were offered at cost with no monetary benefits to Vismaya artists. The exhibition was to help raise money for paediatric cancer patients who come from underprivileged backgrounds and cannot afford a cancer scan or other tests. The exhibition has raised close to Rs 4 lakh till now and is open for another week. The unique event was organised by Swasti Art Gallery along with HCG Foundation, whose journey to help cancer patients has been a ten-year-long endeavour.

“Swasti, an initiative of HCG Foundation, is a creative care unit located on the premises of HCG Headquarters in Bengaluru. The gallery was launched in 2006 to promote art and to raise funds for the HCG Foundation to help support cancer patients. The gallery is open to all,” says Feros Aboobacker, manager of both Sawsti Art Gallery and HCG Foundation. The ten-year-long journey of promoting art and helping cancer patients has helped them reach out to and help close to 150 patients every year, including 25 children, at various stages of cancer. “Art has the power to stir emotions and heal in ways that are inexplicable. Colours and ideas are brought alive to create treasures that go far beyond the monetary value. At the Swasti Art Gallery, we go one step ahead and see the potential in art to heal in yet another way – by contributing a part of our proceeds to cancer treatment," he says. 

However, connecting art to a disease such as cancer through Sawsti was the brainchild of Bhagya Ajaikumar, who is the director and founder of the gallery. The gallery at the hospital showcases works of eminent and upcoming artists. “Pieces of art we choose all have the theme of life’s journeys. 

By stressing on the importance of this journey, they bring about a sense of hope. They aim to bring about introspection and a feeling of being able to view one’s own life as a third person. Also, the proceeds from the sale of artworks are donated to the HCG Foundation, which is then used to sponsor patients who are unable to afford cancer care," explains Bhagya Ajaikumar, who adds that part of the sales also goes to the artists who contribute their paintings to Swasti.

“In a year, close to Rs 6-7 lakh is raised and of which a large sum is given to paediatric cancer cases which are about 30%-35% of the patient load," says Feros. 

Both the gallery and the Foundation have been instrumental in helping patient with Cancer requiring treatment and diagnostic help.

The HCG Foundation was founded in 2006 to ensure that patients diagnosed with cancer at the HCG Hospitals are not turned away. “The HCG Foundation believes that no one should be denied quality treatments because of their socio-economic status or their inability to finance them. The Foundation strives to improve the quality of life of cancer patients by helping them with highly subsidised diagnostics and treatment. Our team does ensure that the patients who require the Foundation's help are economically backward and we do a background check as well," says Feros.