From Sakena Begg’s An Art Tribute
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Sakena Begg has combined her love for canines and a passion for art and teaching, to reach a social cause. At her recently concluded debut exhibition, An Art Tribute, Sakena presented a wide range of paintings, mugs and postcards, themed around canines.
As many as 75 exhibits on display — including watercolours and mixed media artwork — filled the venue with vibrant images of her favourite canines from the neighbourhood.
As an accomplished art facilitator and ardent nurturer of animals, Sakena has been teaching art to children aged four and above, for over a decade now. Her project, The Little Art Class in Town, is a creative space for children that encourages spontaneous self-expression through inspiring and entertaining art classes. Students get a glimpse of the art world at a young age by using different materials, processes and techniques.
Sakena Begg (centre)
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Talking about her first show, Sakena says, “My students were the ones who suggested I organise an exhibition since I had a large collection of canine paintings. They were enthusiastic enough to organise it themselves. One of my student’s opened up their home to use as a gallery.”
“After a class, Sakena usually watches TV and creates sketches of dogs. We noticed she has a lot of them, which is why we suggested she hold an exhibition,” says Rohan Srinivas, a class 7 student who has been attending her sessions for close to seven years now. “It took us about a month to plan and execute this exhibition,” he adds.
Organising the exhibition turned out to be a community-bonding activity for her students. “From lending the venue and setting up the pieces, to billing and hosting the guests, my students did it on their own,” says Sakena.
An Art Tribute was not just an exhibition, but also a fundraiser to raise money to rescue dogs. All proceeds from the fundraiser were donated to the Frazer Canine Squad. The pieces were priced from ₹100 to ₹4,000 and at the end of the exhibition about 60% of her work was sold.
From Sakena Begg’s An Art Tribute
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Elaborating on the role of rescue squads in Bengaluru, Sakena says, “We’ve got squads in all parts of the city, which branch out from the centre. Two ambulances should not head out for the same rescue.”
During the pandemic, Sakena started working with an animal rescue group in her neighbourhood of Cooke Town where she drew, sketched and painted the street dogs to raise money for their care and rehabilitation. Sakena who has always been an animal lover has made it her goal to create one sketch every day.
Although the exhibition is over, Sakena takes orders (@sakenabegg) and the funds go to the hospital where the animals is being treated via the Frazer Canine Squad.
From Sakena Begg’s An Art Tribute
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement