Speech

Oman- India Art Exhibition

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INAUGURATION OF OMAN INDIA ART EXHIBITION 
25 SEPTEMBER 2019

Y.E. Mr. Mohamed bin Zubair, Advisor to His Majesty for Economic and Planning Affairs,

Y.E. Khalifa Al Harthy, Under Secretary for Diplomatic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,

Dignitaries, Esteemed artists, Members of diplomatic corps, Media persons and Distinguished guests.

MarhabanBikum!

          On behalf of the Indian Embassy, I extend a warm welcome to you all. The Embassy of India is privileged to be associated with Omani Society for Fine Arts in organizing this “Oman-India Art Exhibition”.

          Gurudeo Rabindranath Tagore once described Art as “the response of Man’s creative soul to the call of the real.” Art is the highest form of human expression and creativity, which constantly inspires us to strive for a happier and harmonious world. It is the most beautiful way of bringing communities together through learning and appreciation of cultural diversity.

          Art and culture have flourished in Oman under the wise leadership of HM Sultan Qaboos. On this special occasion, I would like to pay my respect and convey our collective best wishes for a long, prosperous and healthy life of His Majesty. 

          His Majesty has also been instrumental in the development and expansion of India-Oman relations that go back to over 5000 years. There are many cultural commonalities between India and Oman, be it the welcoming of guests with Halwa, or similar words in Arabic & Indian languages, or our food habits. This exhibition is a celebration of our continued strong cultural links. Today’s exhibition is truly Indo-Omani in character, featuring paintings by highly acclaimed artists from India and Oman. 

          Vincent van Gogh had said “I dream my painting and I paint my dream”. I hope this art exhibition will inspire all of us to dream for a peaceful and prosperous shared future and work with greater zeal to achieve it.

          I would like to thank the real stars of today’s event, the Indian and Omani artists for putting up such a magnificent exhibition for us. 

          I would also like to place on record my appreciation for the efforts of Omani Society for Fine Arts, ably led by Director Ms. Maryam al Zadjali, who has personally selected the Omani and Indo-Omani artists participating in the Exhibition.

          I would like to acknowledge with deep appreciation the support of Indian Social Club Oman, through its newly formed energetic team of Rangrez, which has been instrumental in organizing the logistics for this event and supporting the presence of Indian artists.

          Further, we are grateful to the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Oman Air for supporting the travel of Indian artists and transportation of their art work.

          Special thanks to Ms. Tarini Agarwal, who apart from being a participating artist, has curated this amazing exhibition, connecting all artists and making this Exhibition a reality.

          Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to our esteemed Guests, dignitaries and art lovers for their gracious presence this evening. I wish you all a very pleasant evening and happy viewing. Thank you.

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