Dr Sana said her aim in life has always been to stay positive, inspire people and touch as many lives positively as she can.- Supplied photo
Dubai - Her collection of paintings is a blend of beautiful shades with an oeuvre of modern contemporary and Islamic calligraphy.
Published: Sun 28 Jan 2018, 11:00 PM
Last updated: Mon 29 Jan 2018, 11:11 PM
It is not every day that you will come across a doctor turned philanthropist and then an artist who uses her creativity for a cause dear to her heart.
Dr Sana Sajan, a doctor turned Islamic calligraphy artist, recently hosted a painting exhibition, Art Lover International Festival (Alif), to raise awareness and support Thalassemia patients.
The week-long exhibition was inaugurated at AnYahh art gallery in Umm Suqeim by Sheikha Hind bint Faisal Al Qassimi and Adel Sajan, director of Danube Group.
Talking about the idea behind the exhibition, Dr Sana said her aim in life has always been to stay positive, inspire people and touch as many lives positively as she can. She picked her subject, Thalassaemia, after she visited the Thalassaemia centre at Latifa Hospital. "I made up my mind to do something for the patients - children and adults - who are suffering for no fault of theirs. The only reason they contracted the disease was lack of awareness. Once you get this disease, you have to suffer all your life."
Realising that her art could be used to support these patients as well as spread awareness about it, Dr Sana decided to start an art exhibition. "To educate the public and create awareness about this issue, I am giving away gift boxes at my exhibition. These boxes have a booklet of my paintings, a scarf along with a detailed pamphlet related to Thalassemia. This is my way of inspiring the society and helping people in need by giving them all the proceeds of my exhibition," Dr Sana told Khaleej Times.
Members from the Thalassaemia Centre of Latifa Hospital, Community Development Authority, Crème de la Crème and the private office of Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum attended the exhibition to show solidarity with the event.
Her collection of 25 paintings is a blend of bold and beautiful shades with an oeuvre of modern contemporary and Islamic calligraphy.
Philanthropic activities
Apart from Alif, Dr Sana also serves another vital sector of the UAE population - the blue-collared workers. She visits labour accommodations and gives workers personality development classes and teaches them English. She and her team also give them computer literacy sessions.
"This grooming helps them to get promotions, hikes in salary and is not limited to any particular company's employees but open to all workers. So far, we have trained over 5,000 students over a period of five years." Dr Sana and her team regularly go to JAFZA's labour accommodations, where they hold sessions with a group of 50-100 workers.
"It is not easy to convince workers to take out time from their hectic and tiring schedule. I go and convince them that this education will be beneficial for their future. I tell them how they will speak better, talk better, live better and set good examples for their families and at the same time also get a boost in their career," Dr Sana said.
Dr Sana also supports people of determination by her association with various schools of people of determination. "When you spread happiness, it will come back to you. Have a cause, support and educate people about it. I hope that my work evokes emotions in people and they can connect with it in their own unique way.
"Our legacy is not just what we do; it is about the number of lives we have touched and the number of should we have stirred."
saman@khaleejtimes.com
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