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Expressing an attitude through photos
A photograph by Laurent de Gaulle; now on display at the AIFACS Gallery.
For historian Laurent de Gaulle life wasn't destined to be an easy one. An artist and an acclaimed photographer, Laurent was diagnosed with diabetes some years back. But for him life did not stop here. It just took on a new dimension.
De Gaulle took up his illness not just as a challenge, but as a stepping stone to help those suffering from the same ailment. `Eyes of Hope', a photo exhibition, is the result of this belief. Through his lens, he captures all that is evident, with a rare insight -- a dimension that is often ignored especially while raising the mundane to the level of objet d'art.
The photo exhibition-cum-sale, held in aid of the Diabetic Self-Care Foundation, is currently on at the All-India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS) gallery in New Delhi from July 6 to 13. "The exhibition is a very special relationship with India in all its dimensions. The photos are a tribute to the country where I spent four extraordinary years of my life. They express an attitude: my way of looking at life, always with hope in the eyes. The eyes are a major gateway to the mind, as well as fabulous tools to exchange ideas with others and perceive the world. They are among the first parts of the body which are affected by diabetes when it is uncontrolled,'' says De Gaulle, who had earlier organised a photo-exhibition in Australia to help the diabetic foundation there.
Diabetic Self-Care Foundation is a unique group conceived, created and run by diabetic patients themselves for the last 22 years. "We realised that most patients have to battle with limited resources, lack of awareness, unaffordable treatment and inadequate medical care system after they are diagnosed with diabetes. We also realise that by 2005 India will have 57 million diabetic patients. Through this photo-exhibition, we hope to educate people about the ailment and make them a part of the movement,'' says Dr. M.C. Srivastava from the Foundation.
Speaking about the work done by the foundation he adds, "We conduct regular patients' education programmes, activities for general awareness, help poor patients in treatment and offer concession services in specialised fields.''
And after the "feast for the eyes'', the Foundation also provides a strict chart for the diabetic and the general public. The rulebook includes following a disciplined schedule, adjusting your diet according to need and diabetic control, practice weight management, exercise regularly and avoid any stress.
By Bindu Shajan Perappadan
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