Paintings with India as the theme on display in Shanghai

Aspecial exhibition of 100 paintings on Indian themes like images of the banks of the river Ganges, Taj Mahal and Red Fort, drawn by leading Chinese artists after their visit to India, has been opened for public in Shanghai.

The paintings were put on display at the Xuhui Art Gallery, the last week.

The painters include Zhang Weiren (from Chinese Artists Association), M Luo Weimin, and Wu Gang and He Wei, both of who are also Associate Professors.

The artists visited India March last year, at the invitation of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and interacted with leading Indian artists at the workshops held in New Delhi, Varanasi, Jaipur and Agra. Most of the paintings on display feature composite culture of India and iconic Indian sites. The Indian Consulate in Shanghai shared the news in a statement.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Consul General Anil K Rai and was attended by prominent artists and officials from the cultural department. Inaugurating the exhibition, Rai said it was part of a joint effort by the two great civilisations to understand and appreciate each other.

“By organising such events, our aim has been to promote a deeper understanding and appreciation of Indian culture in China,” he said.

The trend of art exhibitions on Indian themes in China started in the year 2009, when Wang Zhijie, a famous painter led a delegation of 24 Chinese painters to visit India, setting an example for other artists.

The exhibition will continue to be on display at the Xuhui Art Gallery for two weeks. It is expected that some of the select pieces would also be sent to India for exhibition in the second half of 2018, the statement concluded.

THE EXHIBITION HAS 100 PAINTINGS DRAWN BY LEADING CHINESE ARTISTS

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK Most of the paintings display culture of India or iconic Indian sites, such as the Red Fort (above) in Delhi