Sunitha Thrippanikkara, the artist who received a central government award from the president recently, is a study in determination. The woman was afflicted with a genetic disease at a young age but that has not deterred her from pursuing her hobby. Both hands atrophied, she clutches the paintbrush between her teeth to bring alive marvelous art works.
Sunitha was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy eight years ago. She lost control of her legs first. Then her arms went limp. Even her bones are becoming weak. But her spirit is at an all-time high. She was selected as the best painter of the past year.
She has a role model in her brother, who himself is a famous mouth painter. Ganesh’s affliction was attributed to polio because he was not vaccinated. But the same symptoms appeared on Sunitha, who had received vaccination against polio.
Detailed investigations revealed that the siblings were suffering from a genetic disease. Sunitha lost her ability to walk when she was in fourth grade. Her mother helped her go to school up to plus two. She pursued BA and MA through distance education. She lost her father 15 years ago.
Sunitha was inspired to be an artist by her brother. Ganesh is a member of a worldwide association of mouth painters. “We went through difficult times. We did not even know that we could move around in a wheel chair,” she said.
Ganesh’s foray into art changed the family’s destiny. He had about 100 students in his painting class by the time he was in the eighth grade. Sunitha joined them to learn the craft. She was beginning to lose control of her arms too but she could never drop the paintbrush.
She was worried about ending her artistic pursuit. Ganesh encouraged her to try mouth painting. Eventually she mastered the art.
Sunitha is one of the seven members of the mouth painting association along with her brother. She has organized several exhibitions of her works, starting in Pondicherry. She has gone to Singapore and many other countries and interacted with artists who had overcome physical limitations.
Sunitha married her sweetheart after a five-year romance but the couple eventually drifted apart.
“I never thought I would receive the central government prize. I applied for it and forgot all about it.
“When I received the prize from the president, I felt like it was an honor for everyone who stood by me.”
Sunitha and Ganesh are also helping out people who are bound to wheelchairs. “We formed an association called Fly. That was a means to bring out those who limited their lives to a wheelchair inside a room. We started a magazine called ‘Chiraku’. There are many potential writers among us. Even I like to write stories and poetry.”
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