Indian Academy of Fine Arts extends invitation to Pak artists

AMRITSAR: Indian Academy of Fine Arts, established in pre-Partition days, has extended invitation to artists from Pakistan for joint performances and participation in various competitions including painting, sculpturing, fine arts etc. aiming to bolster the relations between two nations which have taken a backseat in recent past.
“Art can go in a long way to bridge gap between two countries especially after recent spurt in Kashmir violence and we have extended invitation to artists from the neighbouring country to visit here and perform,“ said president of Academy Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina while talking to TOI on Thursday.
The Academy was established by a prominent artist Gurdit Singh along with other fellow artists in 1928 while the foundation stone of main building of Academy was laid by former President of India Dr. Rajinder Parsad on April 13, 1961.
Chhina, who had led an eight-member delegation of artists to Lahore in past, said art knows no language. “There are significant cultural similarities between two Punjab’s since before Partition we were one,” he said.
He said earlier theatre artists from Pakistan had been performing in India but now the Academy had extended invitations to other artists also. He said the Academy was keen to have competitions between artists from two countries in the streams of painting, drawing, graphics, sculpture making, clay modelling, photography, computer digital art, calico painting and art designing.
“There have been lot of tough talking between two nations. Now let the art and artists join hands and make strong bonds of love and affection,“ said the president adding that they had sufficient infrastructure to host various art related activities. “Our school of thought is quite similar. People of both countries wanted peace and art can be the medium for it,” he said.
He said that Academy had also written to the Central government seeking permission for cultural exchange programmes with various nations including Pakistan but had not been granted so far.