Thirty-six-year-old Anu Jain, born with hands that extend only to the elbows and legs till her knees, grew up in Kharagpur, West Bengal, and currently lives in Bengaluru.
Anu’s limited mobility didn’t stop her from dreaming high and achieving her dreams of becoming a painter, a photographer, and a design artist, a musician, an artisan, and what not.
While some perfectly abled-bodied people waste their lives doing absolutely nothing, there are those like Anu, who is an inspiration for many. Anu’s family has always been her biggest strength. She has never had a formal education. As there were no schools for children with special needs in Kharagpur, she was taught by her family at home.
She gradually learned computer and received an official GED (certificate of high school equivalency from the American Council of Education) in June 2013. At the age of 32, she has already cleared Chitra Bhaskar Part-II from Prachin Kala Kendra, Chandigarh.
In September 2013, she received her first memento for her art. Then in December 2013, she was awarded a degree certificate and medal by Sobha Koser, Prachin Kala Kendra, and singer Dwijen Mukherjee for achieving the first position in the Eastern Zone in the Fine Arts exam called Vasharad Finals of Prachin Kala Kendra, Chandigarh.
Anu also writes poems and short compositions to express her feelings about the world and life. She even loves to read and play the piano. She is passionate about designing and painting on terracotta pots and making handicrafts. She paints on different textures and objects varying from cloth to clay.
The journey with art began the day her mother gave her a brush and colours and asked her to paint on a white canvas. From then, she trained herself and explored her thoughts through her paintings. She paints using a variety of media- watercolours, acrylic, fabric, glass, poster, oil-pastel, pencil, and charcoal. The self-taught artist now holds art classes for children in BBBMP Public School, Shrirampuram, Bengaluru.
In September 2014, she was invited to participate in an All India Fine Arts (Painting) workshop cum exhibition held in Patna, Bihar. She was selected among 10 artists as part of the Artists Camp held during the Puligere Utsav 2020, sponsored by Infosys Foundation and organised by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan at Lakshmeshwar, Gadag District. Against all odds, she has proven that no disability can steal away the ability of any person.
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