Colours of empathy: PaintBrush Art Community buoys bonds with show
- 14 Jun 2022
Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer
The co-founders of the PaintBrush Art Community, Sonal Purohit and Dr. Romit Purohit, are back with another art extravaganza, dedicated to art and artists. To run till June 25, the group exhibition titled “I”, is being held at luxury hotel Marriott Al Jaddaf, Dubai, after a glittering opening ceremony on May 20.
“It is a tradition of the PaintBrush Art Community to set benchmarks of perfection,” the Purohits say. “This show is also a perfect amalgamation of art and entertainment, just as the earlier art exhibitions held by this art group have been.
Never compromise on quality, is the thought behind every event we host.” 47 artworks by 46 artists from seven countries are on display. “Each artwork has a part of the soul of the artist in it and this can be clearly seen in every artwork displayed,” says Sonal.
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Artists participating are Afshan Quraishi, Amal Mirajkar, Anil Kamble, Anjini Prakash Laitu, Anjum Daud, Anupa Bhambhaney, Archana Udeshi, Avigyan Bhattacharya, Bhupendra Bagla, Iti Sethi, Jaya Phulwani, Jisha Sameer, Jyoti Singla, Kadambini Choubey, Kavita Sriram, Kavitha Vinod, Koushal Choudhary, Krishnanand, Medha Nerurkar, Moni Shyam, Nripan Purakkat, Paulomi Rana, Prabita Rajesh, Ravindra Parkhi, Reena Dhiman, Rekha Mudbidri, Renu Shivam, Rishu Gosain Roy, Sabah Anees, Saima Hasan, Sana Bano Moin Ahmed, Sangeeta Parashar, Shilpi Dutta, Shivani Mathur, Somya Rastogi, Sonal Purohit, Dr.Soumya Shree, Sugat Priyadarshi, and Susmitha Dhruva (all from India); Anna Wyborn (Russia); Leyla Taghiani (Iran); Mriam Ashraf (Egypt); Mudher S. Alwan (Iraq); Mussarat Yasmin Abid (Pakistan); Nayma Yasir (Pakistan) and Rajia Hammour (Morocco).
The inaugural was graced by guests who are known for their unstinting support for the art fraternity.
They included Ruby Sajan (Danube Group), Azhar Sajan (Casa Milano), Sultana Kazim, Ahmed Al Awadhi (Rukni), Anjini Prakash Laitu, Dr. Ahmed Al Sharafi (International Radiology Center), Abdulla Al Mubarak, Saju Nair (Televisionario2), RJ Prince, Alok Bhargava (President RBPG), Dr. Kirti Mohan Marya and Dr. Pooja Marya, Shivam Sharma, Afshan Quraishi, Dr. Shive Krishna Purohit and Indu Purohit.
Plan B group also lent its support, “as always in its own unique way,” as Sonal put it. Its CEO, Dr. Harmeek Singh, who is also an art aficionado, lent his personal support for the successful execution of the event. The art tour that followed the opening ceremony served as a learning experience for guests as well as for artists, who proudly explained their artworks. Sonal pointed out that the uniqueness of the exhibition lay in the fact that it was totally organised by the artists themselves. The opening was also marked by a minute of silence as a mark of respect for the former President of the UAE, who passed away recently.
Tanoura dance mesmerised the audience with its liberal use of lights and sound. Tanoura means “skirt” in English and Tanoura dance is a kind of folkloric dance, very common in Islamic countries, especially Egypt and Turkey.
It is usually performed by Sufi men to Sufi music; the dancers spin continuously to rhythm. The dance is also one of the highlights of Dubai desert safari trips. Host and artist Prabita Rajesh introduced the idea behind the exhibition and put forward her views on the Paintbrush Art Community. She was joined by Sonal, who described the journey and milestones achieved by the Community.
Guests were again in for a surprise when ace artist Sugat Priyadarshi, performed a mime act on the stage. The light-hearted act reminded the audience of the times of the legendary Charlie Chaplin. Laughter gushed when RJ Prince and Dr. Romit took over the stage. Their energy and wit resonated with those present. People stayed glued to their seats throughout the affair! A dance performance by Prabita Rajesh and her daughter Anashwara Rajesh, followed.
“The PaintBrush Art Community has again proved how much it values and cherishes art and artists,” said co-founder Dr. Romit. “Each of our events has been soulful. The artists are not just dedicated to art, but also busy spreading hope and care in an otherwise disturbed world.” In the past, Community artists have designed labcoats for Covid warriors, to spread the message of empathy. They have painted T-shirts for blue collar labourers in an event at the Consulate General of India.
PaintBrush have also been featured in a book dedicated to their art journey titled “The Art and Artisans”. During lockdown, the PaintBrush Art Community kept the art world moving by hosting some of the more popular online art exhibitions. Sonal says that her personal art journey has just begun; she hopes to create more memorable events for art lovers. She believes that we all, artists and art lovers, evolve together.
She has a point, of course. Art is all around us. Whether one hears his favourite song on the radio or drives by a gorgeous mural, he experiences art every day.
Cultures big and small unite through the arts to build better communities. The arts provide an opportunity to gather with other people from all walks of life, and exchange views, strengthening social bonds. “Let’s make this world a more bearable place with art!” Sonal says. “Let us spread compassion and serenity in the world through colours of joy!” With this aim, Community artists have begun their journey towards their next destination - hopefully to create more fond memories for all art aficionados. The PaintBrush Art Community is now a close-knit family of more than 300 artists.