Shubhra works on a painting at the book fair. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

When she is happy, she sketches with pencils; when sad, she paints bright flowers.

Vinda Sinha, the mother of Shubhra, used these words to describe her child. Shubhra cannot hear or speak. But that has not deterred the 13-year-old, who aims to recreate a perfect Mona Lisa, from exploring her aesthetic talents.

Her paintings and sketches on display at the Patna Book Fair in Gandhi Maidan have earned much appreciation. The budding artist may not be able to hear the words of praise but the admiration makes her eyes sparkle.

“The creations of the little artist are commendable. I love the use of colours in some of the paintings,” said Radhika Sinha, a visitor to the fair.

Vinda says Shubhra has been painting since she was four.

“She would paint landscape and abstract sketches. Gradually, we noticed her interest in art. We observed that some of her creations were precise in style and skill. By the time she turned nine, she was sure she wanted to take up art as a career option,” said Sinha.

The young artist has a vast oeuvre — she has drawn portraits of Rabindranath Tagore, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Mother Teresa. She has also skillfully painted flowers and scenes from nature, and characters from the Ramayana.

Sinha said Shubhra spends hours practising and experimenting with colours. She also reads about famous international painters and studies their work. Though it is a challenge for her to understand the instructions of her mentor, her mother plays the role of her interpreter.