Blind Boys Guernica

by Blind Boy’s Academy INDIA
Calcutta, India, April 2007

by Blind Boy’s Academy, Rama Krishna Mission, Narendrapur, Kolkata, India

From the very beginning of the Kid’s Guernica Peace mural project, that is since 1995 I am involved. In the last eleven years children have done many Kids’ Guernica paintings across the world. They express their views of peace for the future world. Many of the paintings are even done by mentally challenged children in Japan, India and many other countries. This year in my country we are celebrating the centenary of Great Blind artist Binod Bihari Mukherjee. Of course he was not blind at birth but had a poor vision and later he became blind. Even though he became blind he continued with his work and painted many big murals with his inner eye. I felt that blind children can also make a Kid’s Guernica mural. I went to the Blind Boys Academy Rama Krishna Mission, Narendrapur located at the outskirts of the city. I spoke with the principal of the school and with the blind children. The children agreed to do it and at last they did it. During the 3-day workshop in the hot summer at the end of April 2007 they enjoyed a lot but of course this workshop was different as the children who participated were blind. With the help of thread and gum they made it possible.
Asit Poddar