When Mary was a day old, she received warmth, care, love and affection from her parents, relatives and neighbours in her native Mumbai.
When was 17 years old, her parents got her married into a family, which they thought was well meaning and well mannered.
They received the first shock of their lives and Mary took her first beating.
Mary was a dedicated wife, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law and finally a mother.
Each of these relationships took a thrashing, for the family that she entered was punitive and pugnacious, vituperative and vindictive and worst of all, intolerable and incorrigible.
“Those nine years were the worst nightmarish in my life. I must have had nine lives because each year, on my birthday, I had the feeling of being born again. However, nothing changed. There were many occasions when I was almost beaten to death. I do not remember a day when I was perceived as a human being,” she said.
Painting hand in pain
Each time she was brutally beaten, Mary used to protect her right hand from fracture or even a simple injury, so that she could paint.
At an age when most youngsters of her age donned new clothes and went dancing or shopping, Mary wore dirty clothes and did washing and mopping.
She was not sure if life would change for good, for, she had had the worst at a young age.
Finally, when she could not take it anymore, she left the house with her two children, aged eight and three, without knowing what would come next.
Arriving in New Zealand, Mary was diffident and scared even to try to make a difference.
Following the completion of her degree (BA) and Management (IBA) courses from University of Auckland, she was ready for the New World.
Her love for art continued, she was keen to make a transition, but she waited until her children were able to look after themselves.
This transition was not easy.
Although a seasoned painter, her confidence level moved up after she obtained a Certificate in Visual Arts from the Manukau Institute of Technology
“I have started teaching Pencil Drawing, Acrylic Painting and Oil Painting for adults at different Community Education Divisions at high schools and Community Centres in West Auckland,” she said.
As well as undertaking paintings assignments for companies and individuals, she teaches the art on group and one-to-one basis.
Her efforts are beginning to reap rewards.
Propitious Honour
Mary was honoured with the ‘Exceptional Adult Educator Award (in the Art category) from ‘ACE Space’ as a part of the ‘Adult Learners’ Week’ on September 10, 2010.
Receiving the Award from Labour MP Carmel Sepuloni in the presence of MP David Cunliffe and Deputy Mayor (then Waitakere) Penny Hulse (A picture appears in our Special Anniversary Issue) was a great experience for Mary.
“Life is too short and I want to make the most of it. I am now focused on pursuing Art and would like to be successful. I am proud and thrilled to be an Indo Kiwi,” she said.
Some of her paintings were on display at the Waitakere Trust Art Awards Exhibition, which concluded on November 14.
She is currently specialising in NZ and South Pacific art, capturing the essence of Nature, Culture and people,
