Artist fights bone disease with dolls of hope

The dolls made by 20-year-old artist Radhika JA are no ordinary ones, as they are the testimonies to her life struggle. Growing up with an interest in arts, Radhika says she never imagined artworks coming to her rescue when she was battling depression and a rare bone disease that makes them brittle. “As a child, I always loved creating greeting cards for my friends and family. I was very good at making coin-sized greeting cards. I kept continuing to create art through my childhood. When I was five, I fell down and hurt my legs. I wasn’t aware then that the wound had caused a fracture, but learnt about it from doctors only after a few months when I visited them to seek help for the persistent pain. My leg was operated upon, and the pain continued even later and I could no longer put even my foot down,” recollects Radhika.

Within a few years, her legs were operated upon again, with metal implants in both of them. “It was difficult for me to stand or sit. In a span of one month, I had to undergo four more surgeries. The doctors pointed out that I had a rare bone disease, which makes them susceptible to fractures easily. So, I had to stay back at home to recuperate, while my parents continued their jobs and my elder brother his education. This was a period when I felt incredibly lonely and depressed. It was art that saved me out of that as it helped me stay occupied. After a few months, an art video that my brother had shared on creating African dolls out of old newspapers attracted me. These dolls only require a bamboo stick, some old newspapers, tissue paper and paints. I would sit for a few hours whenever I could and make these dolls and paint them carefully,” adds the young artist, who is also a motivational speaker at various colleges.

The dolls soon became popular in her family, bringing Radhika some orders. “I had to take a break in my education due to the surgeries, so I got back to it, appearing for examinations as a private candidate as I cannot stand for very long hours. In 2018, when social media picked up, I began sharing my dolls on Instagram page, which got people interested. I now receive orders for these dolls from across India, Sri Lanka, and even theUS,” she rejoices.

“Art has always been very dear to me. It helped me get out of mental trauma. I want to continue working on these dolls and hope to expand my business soon,” Radhika remarks.