Indian artists recreate colours of Mauritius

NEW DELHI - The sunny beaches of Mauritius formed the creative playground for a group of Indian artists during a recent tourism and art promotion campaign in the island nation.

The initiative, a collaboration between the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority’s (MTPA) India office, hotel partner Maradiva and the India-based Dolna Art Organisation, saw artists trying to recreate the charms of the popular tourist destination Oct 19-24. The paintings were exhibited Oct 24, the last day of the camp, at Mauritian capital Port Louis.

“More such camps in the future would bring opportunities to showcase various forms of art to the African continent, as Mauritius has evolved as a holistic getaway island,” an MTPA official said.

The exhibition was inaugurated by the minister of tourism promotion and leisure in Mauritius, Nandcoomar Bodha.

“The initiative was undertaken to create an exchange between the two nations, highlight the work of Indian artists in Mauritius and simultaneously encourage Indian artists to depict the beauty of Mauritius,” Bodha said.

The camp was presided over by Karl Mootoosamy, director, and Vijaye Haulder, deputy director, MTPA.

“Some of the artists were from Santiniketan,” a spokesperson for MTPA said.

The artists included Prerna Kewalramani, Sadananda Bhuti, Vartan, Devyani Parikh, Pramod Apet, Gunjan Cowlagi, Sahnaj Pravin, and Pradipta Biswas, among other upcoming contemporary artists.

The Indian artists, many of whom had not visited Mauritius before, treated it as a journey of discovery.

“The experience was enriching. I tried to interpret the traditional spirit of the island nation on my canvas. Mauritius is an artist’s delight with its vibrant colours,” said Vartan, an artist.

“The idea behind the exchange was to create a platform for closer cooperation between the Mauritius and Indian artists. It was also an endeavour to showcase Indian talent to Mauritius art connoisseurs,” the spokesperson said.

“Art can open gates for intermingling of cultures and people between Mauritius and India. This initiative was a small milestone that would lead to enriching cooperation linking both countries,” Rajeev Nangia, associate Director of TRAC Representations India, which facilitated the initiative, said.

The Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority commenced its Indian operations with the objective of showcasing and promoting the country among Indian tourists. It organises various tourism and promotional programmes.

“Mauritius was looking at more art and cultural exchanges with India as part of its tourism promotion initiatives in the future,” the spokesperson said.