Art meets a humanitarian cause: raising donations through portraits

Raj Gopal J manages a departmental store in Mangaluru. So, when the lockdown began it was only natural for him to start distributing grocery kits for the needy. His brother was the first to urge him to do something, the rest of his family and friends followed.

He initially began with people from his community who were unable to provide for themselves. Soon, his work extended beyond caste and creed. Those who got support include daily wage workers and those who had lost their jobs.

“When we went to distribute kits to a family, their neighbours too would come up to us and tell us about their inability to procure goods. So, we realised we had to expand,” he said. They have helped over 300 families with grocery in the past 45 days. Each kit contains about 20 items and costs around Rs 1,200.

Motivated by his work, Raj Gopal’s niece Nidhi Bolar also pitched in. Since she was in Australia for her education, she couldn’t physically volunteer, but she came up with a way to help.

“I was working on a portrait for a friend and I decided to share my process on Instagram. I was quite surprised with the response I received, which got me thinking. I could potentially sell portraits for donation,” she says.

In her capacity, across a two week period, she’s managed to raise money for 20 kits. “To get a portrait one had to donate Rs 1,200, which is the price of one kit. Some people have donated more than what I asked, for which I’m really grateful,” she adds.

Most people who have asked her for portraits have commissioned them for others. “I’ve even made two portraits of pets,” she adds.

Aishwarya Cariappa is one of those who donated to the cause in exchange for a portrait. She got to know of it through her sister, who is a friend of Nidhi. “I’m a designer myself, so it was nice to see other designers use their work to help raise money for charity. It’s a very gratifying feeling and I believe that art helps heal,” she says.

Balakrishna and Usha, who got a kit from Raj Gopal, appreciate the fact that Raj Gopal identifies families in need and reaches out to them, instead of waiting for them to approach him.

Raj Gopal says they will continue to help people until the lockdown is fully lifted. Nidhi too hopes to continue to contribute with her skills. If you’d like to make a donation and get a portrait done, do check out her Instagram @nidhibolar for more information.