Meet Anu Jain, who battled disabilities to become a celebrated painter

Anu Jain was born with no legs and arms that end at the elbows. Her condition, however, did not not stop her from becoming a painter, photographer, and a design artist. She’s not a newcomer in the field of art either, as at 32, she has already cleared Chitra Bhaskar Part-II from Prachin Kala Kendra, Chandigarh.

Anu’s family is her biggest strength. Her elder sister, younger brother, and parents have always been supportive. Anu told The Times of India in an interview, “One day , my mother gave me a brush and paint and asked me to draw on white canvas. I gradually felt interested and explored (further). I was hometrained. My paintings are reflections of my thoughts. Most of my paintings have flowers, birds, the sunset and sunrise. No flower is dull in my work, they are bright and cheerful. Pink is the colour of hope, love and happiness and you can see many pink flowers in my work. All that art requires is focus and patience.”

Anu grew up in Kharagpur, West Bengal, and has recently moved to Bengaluru after her father’s retirement. “I enjoy painting using a variety of media – water colours, acrylic, fabric, glass, poster, oil-pastel, pencil and charcoal. Apart from painting, I love playing the synthesiser, which I am learning, photography and making handicrafts. Designing on teracotta pots and clay is also something that I am quite passionate about. Sometimes I write about the world or life in general and express my feelings in the form of poems and short compositions,” Anu says in her website. She is currently showcasing her art at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bengaluru, with support from Infosys Foundation. The exhibition is on till January 23.