Karnataka: Painting The Wall Of Prisons With Colorful Portraits To Inspire & Give Hope To Jail Inmates

Colours can bring a smile on everyone’s face. The monotony of daily routine can be best eliminated with the splash of a red or a green. This is what the Global Shapers Community (GSC) of Hubli, Karnataka, and the newly formed Heartists group had in mind that led to a marvellous initiative.

Heartists, as the name suggests, refers to an art, performed with one’s heart and soul. The group comprises a bunch of creative people from various fields like painting, 3D arts, architecture etc. GSC team and Heartists group joined hands to spread positivity by painting on the city walls in Hubli. As a pilot project, they have painted the inner walls of barracks and cells in Hubli sub-jail on April 5.

Sunil Patil, Vice-Curator of the World Economic Forum initiative GSC, told that he has taken inspiration from the arts spread in George Town, Penang, an island city in Malaysia, where he had paid a visit some time back. He decided to try similar things at his own place and found it best to start from his own city. At the same time, Heartists group was also thinking of beautifying the city. So, the two teams came together to deliver a colourful array of walls in Hubli sub-jail.

Sunil also mentioned about the support received from the police authorities. After some initial discussions with Jailor Karan Kshatriya, he received permission for the paintings as per norms set by the prisons department. Considering the security aspect, the group was allowed to paint only the inner walls and not the main walls of the jail.

The artists came up with abstract paintings and figures of famous people like Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Buddha. While the abstract art left the inmates thinking, at the same time, the images of great people motivated them to introspect and reform themselves.

The response from the inmates of the jail was extremely motivating for the artists. One of the inmates told that earlier, they found the place dull. The blank walls were too boring to be looked at but the paintings done by the artists made them feel happy.

Sunil also mentioned that he has been approached by police officers from other police stations for making their jails creative and people-friendly.

Sandeep Harapanahalli, a Heartist team member, an architect and an amateur painter told The Logical Indian that the thought of doing something for people selflessly was always in his mind. The unexpected place like a jail to paint art acted as a catalyst for him.

Another artist, Neeti Marji, who was the only female in the entire team, actively participated in the initiative. She told that she was very excited to know about the plan. Even the smallest of her fears were washed away after she saw the active involvement of police authorities.

The Police Commissioner P.H. Rane also visited the sub-jail to witness the art-in-action. He appreciated the steps taken and said that art has the power to make people think positive.

The team believes in unison that if their art inspires and motivates even few of the inmates to become better humans, the team will be more than happy. Find positivity. There are good people all around us, it’s just a matter of spotting them. Selflessness creates wonders. Working for others without expectations is in itself a rewarding experience.

If you are interested in joining such initiatives, you can connect with Heartists group on these numbers: +919620112243

-Bhumika Tiwari