The exhibition opened today at the Krishna Kala Kendra, in Sector 2 here, which also happens to be the residence of this award winning artist. There are around 150 paintings on display, which reflect the depth of his thoughts transformed into myriad pieces of art. The paintings touch the heart as each one of them expresses the harsh and the pleasant realities which we often encounter in our lives. Besides the paintings on display one can also find unique art work made out of the flower petals. These true-to-life paintings show famous Indian leaders and some other expressive works which are not only appealing to the eye, but also meaningful.

While most of Sharma's paintings are related to humanity, he has a fine stroke in making portraits of not only famous personalities but also the common man, who has had an impact on Sharma's life in some way or the other.

Every year, he organises an exhibition on July 5, which he calls the birthday of his paintings. On being asked to elaborate, he said that his own birthday falls on this day. Kewal Krishan Sharma in an exclusive interview to "Chandigarh Newsline" says that painting has been in his blood since he was only eight. He has not only been an avid artist but has also taken keen interest in works of art by other artists. His journey towards excellence started from Lahore where he received his formative education. From there he moved to Amritsar in the 1952, where he took his 4-year diploma course in painting from the Indian Academy of Fine Arts. Followed by a one-year course in Intermediate Painting at the J.J.School of Arts, Mumbai.

After completing his education in his chosen field, he worked with many state governments as an artist photographer. But he never let his profession interfere with his passion. "Sifting out extra from the ordinary situations has always been the thought behind my paintings. My paintings go much beyond reality because I pursue my talent with an aim to accomplish not what our eyes can see, but what they can't and that is why my paintings have won praise from people from all walks of life". Sharma has won many awards for his contribution to the world of art and he says that the most jubilant moment in his life was when he won the World Health Award in painting in the year 1960, for his paintings on different aspects of pollution.

He also won National awards twice for his excellence in painting in the year 1979 and 1981 for his work depicting family planning, which were used by the government for various campaigns in this direction. He says that the Madhya Pradesh government had announced an award of Rs.21,000 for him which was never given to him due to change in the government. He has also been honoured by the State governments of Haryana, Punjab and also by the Chandigarh Administration in 1994, 1991 and 1993, respectively.

According to Sharma, his paintings can be found in various government departments and Five-star hotels. His books in Hindi are today prescribed in university courses, and has also written an Urdu novel, "Junooni", for which he is still remembered in the literary circles. He chuckles and says, "I will keep painting till the very last day of my life, because this talent has not only given me fame but has enabled me to take a closer look at life".