<p>
<strong>Faced with pain and a near death situation can change one&rsquo;s perspective and passion for lifetime. That seems to be the case with Seema Mathew, who took to painting with a single-minded devotion after her encounter with cancer.</strong></p>
<p>
She is holding her exhibition &ndash; her first solo show &ndash; at present in Hong Kong.</p>
<p>
Born in Bengaluru, art for Mathew was a pastime like many other Indian children. Though she was perpetually drawing, she started some sort of formal training only when she moved to Hong Kong in 2000. Though self-taught, she attended weekend art classes, and picked the brush only when she could spare time!</p>
<p>
<strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/culture-news/new-find-suggests-that-neanderthals-pioneered-primitive-art-101457.html">New find suggests that Neanderthals pioneered primitive art</a></strong></p>
<p>
A twist of fate, and everything changed, when for the second time, she was found to have breast cancer.</p>
<p>
Mathew&rsquo;s first encounter with the dreaded disease in 2004 didn&rsquo;t lead to a drastic change. She got better and instead of continuing being a travel agent, she decided to sell art supplies. It was the second time on, when the cancer came back with a vengeance making it both traumatic and frightening, that she took a life-changing decision &ndash; pursue her dream of painting full time!</p>
<p>
Speaking to the South China Morning Post, she said: <a href="https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3141233/cancer-survivor-who-began-painting-full-time-after-brush">&ldquo;I have always felt like the universe was trying t</a>o push me in this direction, I just never really listened. I know now that painting is what I was truly born to do.&rdquo;</p>
<p>
The artist&rsquo;s solo exhibition is titled &ldquo;Origa-me&rdquo;, which is also the name of one of her artworks. The painting portrays a torso &ndash; in black and white fragments &ndash; that seem to have been fitted together to design a new form, much like the Japanese art of paper folding, origami.</p>
<p>
Elucidating on the piece, which is obviously the main one in the show, Mathew said: &ldquo;The idea for Origa-me was born out of my real-life experience of undergoing multiple reconstructive surgeries in 2012. After such extensive procedures, I viewed my body as a cut-and-paste version of its former self, like an origami.&rdquo;</p>
<p>
The artworks on display have a deep connection with her and embody the relationship between her and her body, which fought valiantly against cancer.</p>
<p>
She told scmp.com: &ldquo;When I paint, I always choose to focus on my inner landscape, emotions and thought processes. Art keeps me motivated, as I always aim to challenge myself by constantly trying something new and pushing the boundaries of what I already know.&rdquo;</p>
<p>
<img alt="" src="https://www.indianarrative.com/upload/news/Seema_Mathew.jpg" style="width: 720px; height: 480px;" /></p>
<p>
<em><strong>Artist Seema Mathew</strong></em></p>
<p>
The ongoing show has emerged after five years of work by the artist in which she used Chinese ink and water-soluble graphite on linen paper to bring to the fore similarities between human anatomy and the natural world.</p>
<p>
According to Mathew, painting has been a catharsis for her as it gave her insight into spirituality, philosophy and human nature.</p>
<p>
Art has afforded Mathew a vital catharsis, she says, and gives her a way to visually work through her spirituality, philosophies and understanding of human nature. Painting has greatly helped her to deal with all the pain she underwent while making her positive.</p>
<p>
<strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/culture-news/artist-manveer-singh-uses-plastic-to-create-artworks-100068.html">Artist Manveer Singh uses plastic to create artworks!</a></strong></p>
<div>
<p>
Mathew believes that every individual has to find his/her own path to deal with life. &ldquo;We all have a choice in how we react to different situations. I tried to convert my most traumatic and negative experience into something rather beautiful. If audiences were to take away one thing from this exhibition, I hope they understand that traumatic experiences do not have to bring them down. We all have a choice in how we react to these kinds of situations, and we can turn these experiences around into something positive.&rdquo;</p>
<p>
Mathew&rsquo;s exhibition is on till July 31.</p>
</div>
Jamil Maqsood, the President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the United Kashmir People's National…
The 6th meeting of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) Joint Committee concluded in…
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), on behalf of the Forced Labor Enforcement Task…
A delegation from the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile (TPiE), led by Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel and accompanied…
On the sidelines of the 2nd India-CARICOM Summit, leaders of the member countries witnessed a…
India's economic growth story has witnessed a remarkable surge in investment spending, with over half…