Stroke survivor Vinod Marar’s paintings are a peek into his life’s journey

Gateway to My Soul: Vinod Marar's emotional journey through paintings and photographs, showcasing resilience and creativity after a stroke.

Gateway to My Soul, an exhibition of paintings and photographs by Vinod Marar at Prussian Blue Art Hub is an insightful summary of the artist’s life. Most of the works, in acrylic and water colour, are an expression of his deepest emotions – hopes, victories and insecurities.

An IT professional based in the UK, Vinod had little connection to art until after 2005 when he suffered a stroke. Vinod spent over a year in the hospital and the right side of his body was paralysed. During his days of rehabilitation and acclimatising to a new way of life, Vinod discovered painting. He was part of a Stroke Club, where he got introduced to art as a hobby. He gradually learnt how to paint with his left hand and soon discovered that art gave him a space to reinvent himself and express his innermost feelings.

“Soon after the incident, he had lost his memory; he could only recognise a few people. The journey to where he is now has been long and difficult. Though his situation has improved considerably, even today, he finds it difficult to talk, walk and memorise. Art has been therapeutic for him,” says Ambili Mohan, Vinod’s cousin, who is based in Aluva and who helped Vinod organise the show in Kochi.

Since 2010, he has been part of exhibitions in the UK and he had always wanted to exhibit his works in his Kerala. “When Ambili came to the gallery, she spoke about Vinod and I felt it was an inspiring story. To be able to overcome such a setback and create these works of art can motivate so many people,” says Suresh TR, artist and owner of Prussian Blue Art gallery. “His abstracts use a vibrant colour scheme and are thought-provoking. There is one work in which half the canvas is a self-portrait and the other half, painted a deep, plain red. The red signifies the uncertainties of the future,” says Suresh. “The photographs, especially the portraits, are worth mentioning too, because handling a DSLR with one hand, being able to focus and shoot with such precision is not easy, and Vinod’s frames are brilliant,” Suresh adds.

Though acrylic is his chosen medium, Vinod uses water colour too and the portraits are in graphite pencil. The proceeds from the show will go towards a school for mentally challenged children in Uzhavoor, Kottayam.

The show is on till August 30 at Prussian Blue Art Hub, Elamkulam.