Artist and fibromyalgia patient Sujata Tibrewala raised $900 last month through a half marathon to help educate underprivileged children in India. Her new exhibit at her Cupertino studio celebrates the spirit of athletes, as she believes a fit body reflects positive energy.
Tribrewala joined forces with Asha for Education, the San Francisco chapter of a volunteer-based non-governmental organization (NGO) that helps educate children from impoverished areas in India, the country where Tibrewala was born. The artist reached her target thanks to donations and continues to raise awareness through her new exhibit.
Tibrewala, artist in residence at Life Force Arts (LFA), Chicago, is a self-taught artist whose work focuses on eco-feminism. She has exhibited her work in venues such as the St. Louis Artists’ Guild, the University of Illinois, Parallax Art Fair London, the Women’s Caucus for the Arts, Lalit Kala Academy in Delhi, India, among others. She moved to the U.S. in 2010 and works on her art from the Bay Area of San Francisco, California.
In her latest exhibit, she will not only celebrate her success in the half-marathon, but she also wants to inspire other women to take better charge of their health and fitness.
In 2008 the artist was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. As her condition worsened, Tibrewala had to resign from her job, but she tried to lead a normal life, even looking after her teenage daughter while her husband traveled most of the time.
Tibrewala felt overwhelmed by her daily life and felt like she needed a marathoner’s energy to cope with all her daily challenges. Motivated by friends, she signed up for a half marathon for the first time.
She realized that not only did running reduce her stress, it also gave her the necessary stamina to cope with challenges from her daily life and her illness. She gained a special passion for running after she realized it was an outlet to cope with personal trials.
To make the most of the momentum her half marathon created to raise awareness, Tibrewala created an exhibition that helps to inspire setting fitness goals. According to the press release, the artist now runs regularly and plans to register for a full marathon this year.