Some of the participants of the VAFI’s three-day painting workshop.
Doha: The Visual Arts Forum India (VAFI) has concluded the three-day painting workshop. The painting workshop was part of the debut programme, and was launched on October 27 by the Indian Ambassador Sanjiv Arrora, Qatari artist Yousef Ahmed and Dr Mohan Thomas.
Welcoming the participating artists, the chief patron of VAFI, Dr Mohan Thomas, said it was on seeing a collection of works of one of the participants who is incidentally a member of the country’s Indian doctors fraternity some time ago that the idea of holding a workshop and exhibition featuring the Indian artists’ works came to his mind.
On the last day of the painting workshop 22 Indian artists from Qatar gathered to continue and complete their paintings. The venue was the new Birla Public School campus at Abu Hamour.
Participants were many art teachers from various Indian schools in Qatar. Other non-teaching artists from the public also participated.
A release from VAFI said that it was fortunate to have famous Qatari artist Artist Yousef Ahmad take part in the painting workshop, where he created a dynamic piece of work employing paper from pulp of date palm leaves. While promising his support to the members of the art fraternity, the painter told the organisers to consider holding more exhibitions and workshops of this kind to make local art lovers familiarise with the Indian art which he said has a cherished history dating back to several centuries.
“Yousef Ahmad’s painting will remain a valuable addition to VAFI’s art collection,” the release said. Artists created a total of 24 paintings on 80cm x 80cm canvas. All of them utilised acrylic medium.
Many beautiful and meaningful works of art were created during the three-day painting workshop. The workshop concluded with group photographs session.
VAFI’s patron, Dr Mohan Thomas joined the motley crew of artists for the photography session.
Dr Mohan thanked all the participants, and promised more such workshops and events in the very near future. VAFI is currently planning events calendar for 2013.
A special note of appreciation was accorded to the directors, principal and staff of Birla Public School for the venue.
The Peninsula
