Ordinary World

This artwork is called ''Ordinary World'. It was conceptualized and created in June 2020 during the Covid 19 Pandemic. I looked at news articles and painted what I felt was positive and helped us deal with our fears and anxiety during this strange time. Gurudwaras were serving food to children following islam, civilians went going out of their way to feed stray dogs, and healthcare workers were working round the clock, setting aside their own health concerns. The world's most stringent lockdown revealed the plight of India's historically disadvantaged adivasis. Working as migrant workers in cosmopolitan cities, these skilled labourers and artisans had no choice but to defy rules and return to their hometowns. Everyone irrespective of religion, country, social status was impacted by the virus. There was a lot of focus on mental and physical health. A lot of us got to spend time with our families. We prayed, we socially distanced ourselves, we moved our meetings online, we introspected, we read books, and we played music on our balconies for our neighbours. Quite a few species of birds that had disappeared or were a rare sight in the cities, made a comeback. In India, the fruit and vegetable sellers continued to make rounds of residential colonies and ensured regular supply of groceries during the lockdown. We were also punished for not respecting the lockdown in the old school way. The title is ironic because the world around us felt nothing but ordinary.