Strokes of compassion

Life was going on a static line for Mohammed Bilal, a 21-year-old architect, when he decided to take a break. Bilal, who hails from Kochi, has always loved painting, and he found that he can do something for society with the help of his passion. That is how he ended up conducting an art exhibition-cum-sale, The Venice Series, at Kerala Lalithakala Akademi art gallery in Kozhikode. The proceeds from the sale will be used to provide financial assistance to the needy. Bilal took up the initiative in collaboration with Team Inspire, a charity group formed by a group of friends. “I have never studied art; it was just my passion,” says Bilal, who works with the firm Darvish Architecture, Kozhikode.

Team Inspire was formed by a few socially conscious youngsters in Kozhikode in 2016, and now, it is on the doorsteps of completing a new art gallery for differently abled children in Gujarati Street. “Badayakandy Basheer, CEO of Marwan Services, is the man behind our new venture. This is our first big thought. Till now, we were a loosely organised group and took up only small activities,” says Mohammed Hashir of Team Inspire.

Bilal is conducting an exhibition of his paintings for the first time. He has used acrylic mixed with oil colours in the exhibited works. The 22 paintings on show are his reminiscences and display his love towards the unseen Venice. “The reason behind my Venice series is that Venice is eternity itself; it is filled with water, which is the purest and the most essential of all things,” Bilal explains.

“We get positive responses from the audience. Many of my works have been sold out. People show more interest in buying them when they learn about the cause,” he adds. The five-day exhibition-cum-sale will end on December 5.