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Triumph of FAITH
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Undeterred by twist of fate, this 29-year-old has painted his dreams digitally. TANYA ABRAHAM views his achievements
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ON THE night of March 17, 1997, Benny Bernard, then an artist at a Pavillion design company in New Delhi, awoke to find himself paralysed neck down. The last he remembers is falling asleep at the back seat of the car that was sent to collect him after completing an assignment at Agra. The rest he says "was a blur which resulted in being frustrated, limited and unemployed for three years." Unable to move and being limited to the four walls of his Chullickal home in Kochi, Benny explains that he "did not believe his handicap should hinder him in any way." "I felt there was a way out of every difficult situation, and wanted to be an example to the countless in similar circumstances."
The rest is history. After mastering the use of the computer and the techniques of Corel Draw, illustrator and photoshop software, Benny has succeeded in producing an array of digital illustrations of a unique calibre. Paying attention to the clicking sound of the mouse and with the help of tube like projections fastened to his lifeless fingers, he uses the computer to create shapes and figures with utmost precision, that finally merge to produce a burst of colours and pictures. Each of his pictures remain different from the other, each with its own emotive message. Take his `Aids and Abortion,' for example. It displays a tearful Christ painfully witnessing the death of an unborn child. Benny says, " God creates life to help find a solution to our problems, and we kill them, unwilling to give God a chance to work for our good." His work `Life,' Benny explains, "depicts the various stages of man's life portrayed in different shades of colour, a transition from sorrow to happiness, from anxiety to peace."
Through his various pictures, this determined young artist aims at creating an impression in the minds of his viewers. "Art requires contemplation and must enable the viewer to see beyond just a picture or painting. I want to give people a chance to pause, observe, ponder and discover," says the artist. His `Awaiting Beauty' is a picture of a cottage drawn with utmost precision and detail, and a careful search brings forth the hidden figure of a woman that subtly dominates the illustration.
Three years after being conformed to a wheelchair, Benny is eager to discover the new life ahead of him. Through his work, he believes he can persuade others in similar situations to create a life for himself. He now hopes to master the techniques of animation and sophisticated software that would help him go beyond the ordinary frontiers of illustrations and pictures. To be a success in limited circumstances.
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