Keeping the hope within alive, through art – Sakura by Rishika

Art – Sakura by Rishika

A 16-year-old student of the Bombay International School, she has been working on an art exhibition for the last two years and recently held her first ever commercial exhibition at the Coomaraswamy Hall, CSMVS, supporting Concern India Foundation.

Rishika sees the world through a spectrum of colours and her positivity radiates through her work.

A passion more than a profession

Having engaged in multiple forms of art, sketching and painting is what Rishika has fine-tuned her skills in. What began as a hobby of capturing colours in a frame, has today evolved into a passion that helps Rishika express her thoughts and emotions onto a canvas.

"Every colour symbolizes something. But when they come together in one frame, the final composition is simply breathtaking. I paint to express because it makes me happy, and I believe my happiness reflects in my work" says Rishika with a proud smile.

Titled 'Sakura', the exhibition was a culmination of Rishika's efforts towards showcasing the dawn of hope, just like the cherry blossom flowers that bloom after a long cold winter. She firmly believes that despite all the challenges that the pandemic has brought along with it, we stand united to battle the war, together; with the hope of a better tomorrow.

Her paintings beautifully capture the essence of a moment. Through the medium of oil on canvas, she has exhibited cities with an array of colours that have inspired her are bound to bring a smile to the viewers as well. "Being able to travel at such a young age and the exposure towards learning about the diverse cultures that exist across the world, has really taught me a lot. Each place comes with their own set of traditions, but together represent one strong world. This only reinstates my faith in the hope of a new beginning, in a post COVID world" says Rishika.

Socially inclined towards sharing her art

While juggling her academics, Rishika also teaches underprivileged girls to express their creativity through art. It is her firm belief that these girls have the potential to build a career and self-sustain themselves through an artistic medium, if nurtured well. She has facilitated workshops where she explains the basic framework and guides them through their journey of creativity.

"Education is indeed a catalyst for change and it has been one of our key pillars of support at Concern. We work on multiple projects that support skilling, savings, financial planning, entrepreneurship and employability. Enabling the youth with skills that link them to employability is truly beneficial for them, their families, the community and the country at large.

Kudos to students like Rishika who, at such a young age, are selfless and so mindful of the needs of the many students like them with talent but limited opportunity. This effort truly does symbolize what we at Concern aim to achieve - ‘helping people help themselves'. Thank you Rishika, we respect and appreciate your effort and work and greatly value your support for the work we do in enabling girl child education" says Kavita Shah- CEO, Concern India Foundation.

When asked about her future plans, she simply says that the best way to live is to take one moment at a time. Currently, education is her priority but her passion towards art is something that helps fuel her creativity. ". I paint because I love art and would like to focus on learning new techniques; bettering myself with every stroke. I want to inspire people and spread smiles through my work. Guess, I'll just take it as it comes" she concludes.