A friend of mine sent this to me yesterday…….

“My wife doesn’t do anything; she is just at home,” a father of a student from Kerala, India, always used to introduce his wife to others like this. But this boy always saw his mother busy with so much house work, so he painted her while doing so much work and titled it, ‘My Mother and Mothers in the Neighbourhood’. The school teacher was so amazed to see this painting done by a class 9 student, Anujath Vinayal, from Thrissur, that he sent it to the Government office. In this painting he has depicted the unpaid work of women working at home. The painting has been selected as the cover of the Gender Budget document of the government of Kerala for the year 2020-2021.

Again, this story shows just how much power art has in everyday society and how influential a visual image can be. Artists make art to tell a story, convey a feeling, stand up  for what they believe in and to share or highlight everyday issues such as social injustice or prejudice etc. Art is a form of communication and it takes months and years sometimes to start off with an idea then find the best way to execute it to give maximum impact. When we teach art in schools we should ask, “What is the artist trying to tell us?” There is always a reason. All art tells a story, so next time you see a piece of art or visit a gallery, ask yourself that question. It’s been made for a reason and often that reason is to change the world for the better. ??