The eyes have it
The compound wall of Indian Christian cemetery facing Hosur Road bus stop had a lot of eyes painted on it.
Stretching around 200 metres, the paintings of eyes were accompanied by messages urging people passing by to pledge their eyes.
On the occasion of 26th National Eye Donation Fortnight, around 35 amateur artists filled the wall with myriad hues and bilingual messages on Saturday, to drive home the point that donating one’s eyes was the best gift that they could offer to fellow human beings. Before painting, all the artists pledged their eyes.
Organised by Shankara Eye hospital, the art campaign also had facility for people to pledge their eyes on the spot. The small stall set up by the Hospital received over 90 people, all passersby, who stopped and came forward to pledge their eyes after they die.
Anand Prakash, one of the passersby, stopped his bike when he saw the paintings.
Prakash, who is employed with a market research company, said that he always wanted to pledge his eyes but never got a chance to do it.
Out of the 35 artists who painted the wall, about 20 were students from Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat. There were also some graphic artists from corporate companies. Shalini Vijayakumar, who is with a consultancy firm, felt that the initiative was aimed at giving a wake-up call to the people.
Madhulika Umapathy, a partner in a design firm, and her entire family have pledged their eyes.
