One of the things that makes Shanti Bhavan unique among Indian schools is that students have the opportunity to explore the arts. We’ve previously blogged about a large Rangoli project our previous guest blogger, Isabel, did with the students. Second, our very own Director of International Operations, Christen Brandt, was lucky enough to hear one of the student’s excellent, original piano composition. This summer, guest blogger Caroline Orr undertook an incredible project to paint a mural of a few Shanti Bhavan students.
Explaining how she dreamed up the idea, Caroline stated, “I decided to paint three first graders—one girl and two boys sitting on a small ledge. In my mind, the mural would become an emblem of the spirit that pervades Shanti Bhavan. This is a spirit of friendship and family. When I started painting, I truthfully wasn’t sure of what the end result would look like. I did know that I wanted the students to play a role and contribute to a collaborative project.”
While painting the mural, Caroline formed a special bond with her subjects. Reflecting on the experience, she said, “The boy pictured in the center of my mural painting is Kishore. His family lives in the local village and his mom had heard I was painting her son. She came by one day to see it for herself. When she came by with her friend, I immediately recognized which one was his mother. After studying the face of a child for hours and refining all the nuances in his features, it’s not too difficult to identify his kin. For all the many children I’ve ever painted or drawn, this was the first time I’ve ever seen a parent interact with piece. Observing her expression and countenance alongside her son’s portrait was truly special and something I’ll never forget.”
Kishore's mother poses proudly in front of the painting of her son.
Finally, Caroline discussed the collaborative effort that was poured into the mural, which makes this mural so special to Shanti Bhavan. She stated, “I decided to let students choose different virtues to paint inside the border. For three days and nights, we worked together to paint virtues in three different languages: English, Tamil (the local language), and Hindi. These virtues and the faces of the children serve to edify Shanti Bhavan’s mission. It is a mission that upholds: patience, compassion, excellence, love, humility, integrity, respect, generosity, gratitude, loyalty, bravery, curiosity, understanding, kindness, faithfulness, determination, service, sincerity, and empathy.”
Caroline and her three muses: Latika, Kishore and David.
Caroline hopes this mural will have a lasting impact on Shanti Bhavan students. During her time at Shanti Bhavan, Caroline made sure that the arts will live on after she leaves. “I was teaching third and fifth grade art while also helping create an after school ‘Art Club’ for those students who were especially interested in furthering their art skills and knowledge. It didn’t take long to perceive rich artistic inclinations among many of the kids. I hope this mural, more than a nice painting on the wall, will serve as an instigator—the spark that lights an interest in art at this school. Particularly in a country like India, where arts haven’t always been encouraged alongside the sciences and business, I felt it was important to reveal the significance and meaningful nature of art in our lives.”