Cancer survivor traces Mahatma's life on canvas

From shades of green to earthy browns, Eby N Joseph’s paintings trace Mahatma Gandhi’s life through an artist’s perspective. His tryst with Gandhi is indeed unique.

No wonder, Joseph’s painting depicting the house where Mahatma once lived in Porbandar, comes alive as if it is a photograph. His collection – ‘Centenary Celebrations of Gandhi after South Africa’ – is currently on display at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath.

A cancer survivor, Joseph became interested in the life of Gandhi while undergoing treatment for Multiple Myeloma. He subsequently underwent a bone marrow transplant. “It all began after I was admitted to a hospital in Kerala for treatment on October 2, 2008. That is when I turned to Gandhi. Interestingly, exactly one year later, I was out of hospital on October 2, 2009. After coming out of the hospital, I visited the places Mahatma had visited after his return to India. I went to Sabarmati, Porbandar, Rajkot and many other places and drew draft paintings with pencils and finalised them in my studio back home in Kerala,” he said.

His paintings portray the warmth of Porbandar, Gujarat and etches the lush green environment. He also runs a philanthropic organisation, Art For Cancer Care (Art Can Care), in Kerala. He recently launched a coffee table book aptly titled, “My experiments with the Mahatma”, sharing the influence of the father of the nation through various important events that took place in his life.

Still attached to the cause of cancer, Eby says that the proceeds of his works go to his foundation, which works for cancer patients and survivors. He is also setting up a rehabilitation centre in his home state for cancer survivors.

His creative engagement with Gandhian ideologies is on display at the Gandhiji Gram Swaraj Art Gallery at the Kerala Institute of Local Administration at Mulankunnathukavu in Thrissur district.

With utmost humility, Joseph credits Dr V P Gangadharan for inspiring him to start the Art for Cancer Care Trust to support cancer patients and their families.
The exhibition is on till April 14.