Dhruvi Acharya

The lockdown has been stressful for me as it must be for most people—besides the constant vigilance against contracting the virus, on the personal front, there have been disrupted routines, kids at home, little or no domestic help, isolation, worrying about lonely and ageing parents, and the daily news of lost jobs, hunger, the plight of migrants and wage labourers, the battle our healthcare workers are facing, and stories of death and illness.

So, on the day of the Janata Curfew, I went to my studio and decided to paint whatever was on my mind, which, for the privileged among us, is the Coronavirus (versus hunger, poverty, illness and death for many). Since then, I have been painting every day as it helps me not worry excessively about things I cannot control. The paintings are about the psychological, social and physical impact of the pandemic—fear of touching anyone or anything, social distancing, loneliness, the fear of the disease and its effects on the human body.