How a city’s well-known psychiatrist calms his mind through art

MUMBAI: “Painting gives purpose to my life and helps me find peace in imperfection. It helps me to become the best version of myself and allows for silent introspection. It makes me forget about the pain in this world and allows for me to see. In those few still hours of silenced peace, I rebuild myself,” says Dr Zirak Marker, child, adolescent and family psychiatrist, medical director of The Aditya Birla Integrated School, and senior psychiatrist and adviser to Mpower, an initiative to champion and promote mental health, spearheaded by Neerja and Ananya Birla.
The much sought-after doctor, who trained under the guidance of celebrated child and adolescent psychiatry specialist Dr Klaus Schreiber at the Westchester Medical Centre, took to painting during the lockdown months. “As you can imagine, the pandemic resulted in an onslaught of online cases pertaining to mental health – families were forced to live together in cramped spaces; children were cooped up at home with no outlet or interaction with others their age; people were fearful of losing loved ones or being separated from them; marriages were under strain or breaking up; and cases of child abuse and addictions increased. It was at that time I realised how therapeutic art was for me,” marker tells me.
We met at his well-appointed office at Kemps Corner, on the eve of Marker’s third exhibition of art, titled ‘Freedom’ which opens today Kathiawada city house, at Worli. The doctor, who was seen recently in the media celebrating Holi with close friends Aishwariya and Abhishek Bachchan (Ashwariya and he are college mates), is eager to point out that he does not regard himself as ‘an artist’. For him, painting has always been a coping mechanism, a deep reservoir of silence and introspection, a space he can go to when the cases of trauma, confusion, pain and loss that are brought to him on a daily basis by anxious parents or caregivers, become too much to bear.
Knowing a child’s mind
In a bustling megalopolis like Mumbai where people are constantly on the move, perpetually rushing to make it on time for appointments, stressed over meeting deadlines and where they often sprint just to stay in the same place, there is no doubt that it is often Mumbai’s most vulnerable demographic — its children — who bear the brunt of the of the city’s tumultuous churning.
Talking to Marker one gets a glimpse of the abyss of despair and challenges that Mumbai’s children are faced with: academic stress, peer pressure, bullying, learning difficulties and ADHD, online addiction, alcohol and drug abuse, confusion over sex and sexuality, problems with body image and eating disorders are just a fraction of the grab-bag of issues that plague them and their anxious parents.
Marker who has over 20 years of clinical experience in educational psychology and guiding children and their families, is keen to emphasise that these issues are not exclusive to Mumbai’s children alone. Afterall, thanks to the ubiquity of cyberspace, we live in a borderless world, where these issues are universal. It’s just that in big cities like Mumbai, the problems get exacerbated and amplified.
So, over the years, to his door have come a legion of parents, either alone or with progeny in tow, seeking help and healing, hope and restoration. And to them he, along with his team of doctors, therapists and counsellors bring the benefit of their knowledge, empathy and experience.
Though the interiors of the centre he runs are cheerful, the vibe calming and the messaging upbeat (rooms are named ‘Joy’, ‘Bravery’, ‘Courage’ and ‘Hope’) they belie the sadness and pain that they have been witness to. after all, could there be anything more harrowing than a parent besides themselves with worry over a troubled child?
Coping mechanism
It is to Marker’s credit that he is not afraid to admit to often being overwhelmed by what he hears and sees during his working hours. Neither is he coy about sharing his own trysts with childhood anxiety, due to a family illness and the subsequent trauma he experienced as a victim of bullying in school. In the introduction to his first book ‘Parenting in the age of anxiety,’ published in 2016, he deals extensively with his own angst. But as always, he imparts a distinct message of positivity and hope. In this instance, he decided to overcome his own challenges.
“There are always two paths leading to opposite directions — one leads to regret, bitterness and pain; the other takes us to happiness, forgiveness and peace. I chose the latter; I chose to use my experience to heal myself, thereby healing others in pain, helping families overcome bitterness and replace it with happiness. I chose to learn. I began to understand myself better. It made me stronger as I empowered myself to become a better human being. What was most healing though was the strength sensitivity and empathy I found within myself to help and guide others — I finally realised that my meaning and purpose to life was touching people’s lives,” he says.
Marker’s canvasses, which he says he works on mostly late at nights after a full day’s work, or on weekends at his family getaway in Matheran, comprise vast landscapes and seascapes in muted colours. With titles like ‘Peace within darkness’, ‘Strength after the storm’ and ‘Beauty in chaos’, they evoke the work of fellow Mumbai-based Parsi artist the late Jehangir Sabavala, who along with Austrian master Gustav Klimt, he cites as among his most favourite artists. His first exhibition ‘Falling waters’ held at Kathiwada House in April 2023, had sold out in a day. What followed was a second show, called ‘Adrift’ held at the World Of Crete exhibition in Greece last year.
His present collection is again a selection of expansive vistas of sky, sea, mountains and valleys, that no doubt mirror the inner working of his mind. “Listening to traumatic events and losses in people’s lives has made me understand the importance of living in the moment,” Marker said. “Life is not permanent. There is therefore an importance of gratitude, introspection, peace of mind and loving unconditionally without judgement. I hope that I can express the same through my art… sharing my pain and joys in experiences, my learnings, aspirations and resolutions through my family and friends,” he concludes.
(The exhibition ‘Freedom’ is on at Kathiawada city house on Sunday 21 April, between 11 am-7pm today.)