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Brushed by fate
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Young artist Kushal battled his illness with colours. He lives on in his works even as he has journeyed to the land of rainbows
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POSITIVE ATTITUDE Kushal's failed kidneys did not deter his soaring spirit
With the sad demise of young Kushal, a budding artist has been snatched away from our midst. He was truly a special child who endured severe physical pain and mental agony with equanimity and grace. With a shy demeanour and silent presence, he was a loved figure among many people, including artists, journalists and other professionals.
Kushal was around 10 when his kidneys failed. That was the beginning of a long and arduous journey of pain which was to last for more than eight years. He responded to initial treatment only to face a grim and losing battle later.
His father, Pa.Sa. Kumar, a well-known painter and illustrator, recalls how the city's artists magnificently rose to the occasion by donating their paintings for an exhibition, which helped him raise funds for his son's treatment.
After his operation, Kushal was advised not to attend school on medical grounds — for the fear of contracting an infection. It was then that he picked up some simple sketch pens and started drawing. "We could see that the boy was really talented," recalls K.T. Shivaprasad, prominent artist, who knew Kushal since his early days. "He drew simple figures but the way he was able to see everything in a unique two-dimensional manner was amazing. It is not easy even for art students and artists to develop such a vision. But this boy did it quite naturally. His images, which incorporated everyday objects, flora and fauna, were effortlessly rendered and richly coloured. They had a childlike quality but considering his age, also showed a rare maturity."
Zest for life
Kushal started exhibiting his works and raised funds for his expensive medicines. "It is not just for sympathy that people bought his works," says Shivaprasad. "They saw a creative urge and artistic worth." Kushal's condition continued to deteriorate but the young chap faced it with immense courage. He would even console his parents as he saw them go through a testing time themselves — watching and nursing him.
"He had an extraordinary desire to live," recalls Kumar. "And, in his own way, enjoyed life to the full. Even the doctors and nurses who treated him were struck by his guts, his ability to bear pain and his zest for life... When his condition permitted, he often worked well beyond midnight, sometimes till two or three in the morning. He was extremely skilled in rendering and was highly disciplined. Unfortunately, he developed high BP, his eyes started failing him and he was forced to stop painting. Still he would tell me that when the cataract is removed, he would restart work... Many times he had expressed a desire to draw one particular image; he had even titled it as Tiger Catching a Rainbow.
As it turned out, Kushal's ambition was never realised. All the medical attention and prayers of his well-wishers could not prevent his moving on. His death makes one recall the words of Paul Gauguin. On hearing about the death of his friend Vincent van Gogh, he wrote to Emile Bernard: "I've heard about Vincent's death... sad though this death may be, I am not very grieved, for I knew how the poor fellow suffered in his struggles ... To die at this time is a great happiness for him, for it puts an end to his suffering, and if he returns in another life he will harvest the fruit of his fine conduct in this world (according to the law of Buddha)... "
May Kushal's new voyage steer him to a fresh landscape, which is filled with cheerful tigers and colourful rainbows.
ATHREYA
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