Minu Art’s creativity challenges COVID at Christmas!

Arts inspire a creative venture…writes Prof Geetha Upadhyaya

A most challenging and unusual 2020 left humanity grappling with anger, anxiety, hurt and sadness. During the pandemic many experienced the strangeness of lockdown and turned to arts to keep themselves occupied or to learn a new skill.

Dr. Madhuri Rajwal, a dedicated medic with the NHS and also a talented visual artist has used a variety of medium like acrylic, watercolours and oils to paint a variety of subjects from realistic to abstract styles.

Concerned by the grim situation facing many young people from vulnerable families who have limited ability or skills to handle challenges during these hard times, Dr Madhuri created a visual arts project – ‘December Art for Charity Challenge’ with the mission of raising money for Barnado’s, the charity who support vulnerable children. For this project, Dr Madhuri is using an exciting new fluid dynamic, medium with unpredictable results as the paintings look fresh, vibrant, novel and a sheer delight!

‘December Art for Charity Challenge’ is modelled on the concept of the Advent Calendar for children. Traditionally from the first of December, children open one box of the calendar and a sweet or little chocolate is revealed. ‘December Art for Charity Challenge’ involves posting one new painting every day and people can enjoy art for art sake and can also bid to buy the painting.

Dr Madhuri has pledged all the profits from the sale of her paintings to the Barnardo’s as her previous solo exhibitions in 2018 in Headingley, Leeds, UK raised £2K which she donated to two wonderful charities, The Candlelighters, Yorkshire which caters to children with cancer and the NAAM Foundation for farmers in draught stricken rural India.

‘December Art for Charity Challenge’ allows Dr Madhuri to display new work and at the same time, raises the awareness of art as she hopes to raise the much-needed cash for Barnado’s.