Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Feb 5: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated here today a painting exhibition by Udhampur-based “Foot Artist” Uttam Kumar Bharadwaj, who is one of the rare artists who does his paintings with the use of feet and toes, because of being physically challenged and thus not able to use his hands and fingers.
The week-long exhibition, at a central prime location in Chanakyapuri, has been organised at the initiative of Dr Jitendra Singh who came to know about Uttam Kumar’s talent and art through the social media and pledged to launch him at the national level.
A total of 47 paintings by the artist are on display at the exhibition, the highlight of which is paintings based on the theme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flagship schemes like “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao”, “Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana”, etc. In addition, the exhibition also depicts some intimate portraits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his mother.
Speaking after the formal inauguration of the exhibition, Dr Jitendra Singh said, Uttam Kumar Bharadwaj’s art deserves to be carried to every nook and corner of India, not only because he has mastered the skill of painting with the use of feet and toes, and thus converted the disadvantage of his physically challenged state into a creative advantage, but also because the theme of paintings and the quality of paintings created by him can surpass the paintings of the same genre created by many a mainstream artists.
Dr Jitendra Singh commended Uttam Kumar for depicting themes related to flagship programmes of the Modi Government. This way, he said, the artist is also rendering a great service to the nation by acting as a messenger of Prime Minister Modi’s agenda for “New India”.
A single painting or a picture is capable of conveying more than what a thousand words can convey, said Dr Jitendra Singh, and added that the concerned Ministries handling these flagship programmes will also be hugely benefited through Uttam’s efforts.
Wishing the painter all the good luck for his efforts, Dr Jitendra Singh said, this is just the beginning and hoped that the initiation made today will be followed by a series of similar more public exhibitions and public programmes, which will also serve the purpose of a social message through art.
Large number of eminent citizens, including senior bureaucrats, media persons and social activists were present during the inauguration of the exhibition.
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