“Aim at the moon; even if you miss, you will land among the stars,” says one of the quotes placed amid paintings by Anita Menon, on show at the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Art Gallery in Kozhikode.
The 29-year-old has turned a star, having conducted at least a dozen exhibitions in the past few years and having walked the ramp many a time. Unlike many with Down Syndrome, Anita is not “affected” by the condition but has gone past it to be an artist and model.
Anita owes her success to her parents Ramdas and Usha who have supported her in every way possible, being her strength and voice.
Anita does not speak much, yet exudes confidence in her behaviour, quite befitting modelling, the career of her choice. She has been the brand ambassador of several brands in Chennai and Pune, where she lived for years, until the COVID-19 outbreak. However, such opportunities are scarce in Kerala, Mr. Ramdas noted. “There is a lack of awareness among the public here about children in this condition, unlike Pune, where she had a special place wherever she went. No one here is too eager to hire a model with Down Syndrome,” he said.
A chartered accountant, Mr. Ramdas has spent a greater part of his career in West Asia, before the family settled down in Pune and the pandemic brought it back to its roots at Kallai, Kozhikode.
The exhibition features around 50 paintings by Anita, besides a few craft works, including painted diyas, fridge magnets, and souvenirs, besides hand-stitched frames. “Most people do not believe when we say that Anita did all these by herself. We made videos and even held live demos to prove it,” Mr. Ramdas said, adding that it was her mother Usha who guided Anita. Besides modeling, art and craft, Anita is keen to pursue dancing too.
The exhibition was opened by Mayor Beena Philip on Wednesday and will conclude on Friday.