Bengaluru: What happens when an artist starts seeing her neighbourhood dogs as more than just cute companions? She transforms their wagging tails, floppy ears, and playful antics into an art phenomenon. Meet Sakena Begg , the artist who turned her neighbourhood’s furry friends into her muses, creating a debut exhibition that’s set to leave tails wagging and jaws dropping. When Covid-19 pandemic began in Nov 2020, Sakena, 55, started working with an animal rescue group — Frazer Canine Squad — in her neighbourhood of Cooke Town.
She drew, sketched, and painted street dogs to raise money for their rescue and rehabilitation, using whatever art materials she had at home. “This grew into a collection of paintings and sketches, leading to the title ‘Muttsindahood: A Tribute to Art’. As an animal lover and rescuer all my life, I try to do one sketch of my furry friends every day,” said Sakena.
Talking about her neighbourhood’s four-legged friends, she added, “I take care of my neighbourhood dogs, feed them, and nurture them when they fall sick. In fact, I have named a few: Bailey, Berty, Yoda, and Tuntun.” The collection, Muttsindahood, features 75 unique portraits, from indies to mixed breeds, most of which are rescued dogs.
As visitors flooded the one-day exhibition held on Saturday in Richmond Town, Daksha Ponappa, a student, remarked, “I think the exhibition is beautiful, especially the watercolour pieces where the lines and colours complement each other s.