more-in Drawing on the spirit of the arts with a healing touch ignited by the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) in association with Mehboob Memorial Orchestra at the Ernakulam General Hospital, where a unique ‘Arts and Medicine’ weekly show is being held by them for nearly four years now, an art gallery was opened in the passage to the orthopaedic block of the hospital on Thursday. Positive ambience A set of celebrity pencil sketches done by Jishnu Gopal, doing house surgeoncy, is on show at the gallery set up with support from the Bank of Baroda. Oncologist V.P. Gangadharan, who opened the new addition to the arts assets of the hospital, said treatment also included factors that included creating a positive ambience for patients. “The arts have the power to influence human emotions. Which is why music is played in surgery rooms,” he said. Coordinator of the Arts and Medicine programme Bonny Thomas, who conceived the idea of a gallery, said it followed the same principles. “Anyone from the hospital, doctors, nursing staff, other staff and patients besides seasoned artists from outside are welcome to make use of the gallery where a new show comes on every fortnight.” Mony, an engineering graduate who carries out charity work by holding street music sessions and an arts and medicine volunteer, helped set up the gallery. Mr. Gopal said he was just a sketching hobbyist, making pencil and charcoal sketches, and not a trained artist. He made 21 portraits – of musicians, actors, spiritual gurus and the like – for the show after G. Mohan, who heads the pain and palliative care unit, noticed his skills while he took a week-long course as part of house surgeoncy at the unit, and connected him with Mr. Thomas. A native of Thrissur, Mr. Gopal said he also made sketches when demanded by friends. T.A. Satyapal, chairman of Kerala Lalitha Kala Akademi, who attended the inaugural, promised to hold workshops at the hospital and offer paintings to the gallery.

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