At the picturesque location of the lake city of Udaipur, Rajasthan, 20 artists from India and Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), will get together and collaborate during the 9-day-long ASEAN-India Artists' Camp.
The Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India in collaboration with Seher has organised the first such camp to celebrate the 25th anniversary of ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations and the camp will see artists from Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam besides India.
"They'll create works of art to mark the theme 'Ocean Of Opportunities. These painters will work together, spend time with each other, create individual works and will have inspiration drawn from each other's background and tradition among other things," explained Sanjeev Bhargava, Founder Director of SEHER.
The participating artists, including Chan Sophorn (Cambodia), Iqro’ Akhmad Ibrahim Laily Subkhi (Indonesia), Kanha Sikounnavong (Lao PDR), Mohd. Shahrul Hisham B. Ahmad Tarmizi (Malaysia), Thet Naing (Myanmar), Naphaphong Kurae (Thailand) and Nguyen Nghia Phuong (Vietnam) and Indian artists Binoy Varghese, Farhad Hussain, Kalam Patua, Kiyomi, Laishram Meena Devi, Mahaveer Swami, Samindranath Majumdar and Tanmoy Samanta, will participate in several interactions thereby facilitating the exchange and deeper understanding of each other's art practices.
The paintings that'll be created extempore at the camp, will depict different styles of painting - ranging from contemporary and impressionist to modern and traditional and a total of 20 works will be displayed in a special exhibition to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister in January 2018.
When asked if art plays a significant part in resolving differences and strengthening ties between nations, Bhargava stated that it's "art, music, and sports - that bring people together."
"They bridge the gap as they highlight the commonness. Art sees no religion, no politics, no differences and no division, it only brings people together. When you see a work of art, it only binds people. And art is one of the best forces to bring harmony, peace, and beauty around people."
Considering that for many of them it'll be the first time in India, Udaipur strikes as an interesting location. "It's a beautiful place - it's historical and is rich in heritage. The idea is also to make them aware of some of the rich heritage and beauty of paintings and other things - so we wanted to choose Rajasthan and Udaipur is the best place weather-wise," explains Bhargava.
The camp will not only include art-related activities but will also play host to a series of interactive sessions with school children, seminars and discussions pertaining to cultural and artistic exchange. "These painters will also be doing Yoga together and there will be seminars and discussions on interesting topics like modernity and religion in the global scenario. They will also be made aware of the very rare dance forms like Sattriya of Assam and will also get a taste of Kathak and Indian vocal classical music apart from other things."
With a wide range of activities in store for the artists, it's clear that while the day will be spent in creating magnificent and meaningful artworks, the night will be spent celebrating the rich culture, traditions, and heritage of the participating countries.
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