Solo art show demonstrates doctor’s versatility

POETIC East London doctor Amitabh Mitra’s paintings will be showcased at a solo exhibition at the Ann Bryant gallery for the first time tomorrow.

The Cecilia Makiwane Hospital (CMH) trauma surgeon said this would be the first time for medicine to meet visual arts through his acrylic paintings and a few charcoal art pieces.

Dr Mitra, whose paintings depict Transkei landscape, a bit of his hometown in India, some Mdantsane landscapes and other townships, was thrilled when Unicef India purchased one of his pieces after he advertised the exhibition on Facebook. Mitra has been in SAfor nearly three decades and has lived in Mthatha and East London.

The orthopaedic surgeon who gravitated towards trauma and violence surgery, heads Thuthuzela in East London and the accident and trauma unit at CMH.

Thuthuzela is a care centre abused women and children.

“The very thought process of medicine in recent years has changed from what it was 20 years for back. Today’s doctors are looking at a globalised world and thinking differently.

“I don’t depict my experiences in the trauma unit in my art as that would be showing the horror side of things,” he said of his chosen subjects.

Mitra hopes to show through his solo exhibition that professionals can do other things outside of their day-to-day bread-and-butter jobs. That they can have interests outside of their immediate industries and should not be afraid to pursue those.

“The strict lines that were there are now blurred. We are now bridging the gap between medicine, visual arts, literature and other subjects,” he said.

For Mitra his art and poetry are not only outlets for what he deals with daily, but also serve as instruments of healing.

CMH chief executive Dr Mthandeki Xhamlashe will be the guest of honour at next week’s event.

“He is the leader and should be able to grab what is happening in the world around him,” Mitra said.

“I’m feeling quite happy and comfortable ahead of this exhibition and I hope people will come and see.”

He will showcase 30 of his pieces at the art gallery at 6.30pm tomorrow.

“I’ve been working on this collection for a number of years. I’ve taken part in group exhibitions in the past but never a solo exhibition, and always my art has had a tape that said ‘not for sale’, but not this time,” said the surgeon, poet, artist, husband and father-of-two.

Asked how he managed to juggle everything, Mitra said: “If you are passionate about something, you will find time.

“I find time late at night, I hardly sleep; at 2am I’m still working on my art.” —