Ravinder Kaul
PIEKSAMAKI (FINLAND), June 4: In a ceremony replete with music and impressive speeches, the exhibition of paintings of internationally renowned artist from Jammu and Kashmir State, Suman Gupta, opened at Poleeni Cultural Center here today. The show titled “Lahelta Ja Kaukaa (Near and Far) shall remain open till August 14, 2016.
The atmosphere is electrifying. The art lovers of Finland have gathered from far and wide for the opening ceremony, which is being talked about as a major cultural event of the year in the small town of Pieksamaki with a population of little less than 20,000. However, the reputation of this town as a major cultural centre of Finland has ensured that people from adjoining towns and even far off Helsinki have come to attend the event.
In her speech in the opening ceremony, Paivi Majoinen, Director, Poleeni Cultural Centre, expressed her happiness over hosting the first ever exhibition of a painter from India. She said that the works of Suman Gupta carries a stamp of his surroundings and his people. Besides, his paintings carry a universal appeal that makes his works cosmopolitan. She informed the audience that Suman Gupta has been a part of the Beijing Biennale in China, has represented India in the 8th Edition of the prestigious Florence Biennale and has held a one man show of his works at the United Nations Office at Geneva. He is a recipient of national and state awards and has received both critical and popular acclaim for his shows at a number of galleries and museums in India and abroad. Suman Gupta’s work has been regularly shown by some of the important art galleries in USA, UAE and Finland, besides galleries that he is working with in different cities of India. She concludes her remarks by saying that Poleeni Cultural Centre feels proud to showcase the works of Suman Gupta.
Suman Gupta expressed his gratitude towards Poleeni Cultural Centre for extending him invitation to exhibit his works at one of the most prestigious cultural spaces in Finland. He thanked the lovely audience of the beautiful town of Pieksamaki for gathering in such large numbers for the opening of his exhibition. He heartily appreciated the beautiful ambience of the building of the Centre and the graceful gallery space. He says that his works attempt to question the reasons behind the human existence and the continuous struggle of man to find love, peace and happiness during his existence on this earth. He expressed hope that the people visiting the exhibition over the next two and a half months will find something that touches a chord in them.
There is a sizeable group of the members belonging to the two Rotary Clubs of Pieksamaki attending the opening. They heartily endorsed Cultural Critic from India, Ravinder Kaul, when he says that art and artists are not really thriving anywhere in the world, be it Europe, Americas or Asia and in this age of global recession, organizations like Rotary International must devise a mechanism to support arts and artists, not for the sake of the artists, but for the sake of the entire human race because what would life be without art, music, theatre and literature?
The opening ceremony was interspersed with musical performances on saxophone and piano by two renowned musicians of Finland. The audience later moved around the art works of Suman Gupta and if the ecstatic remarks of the viewers on the Visitors Book are any indication, it’s going to be a long and beautiful summer in Pieksamaki, full of artistic fervor and frequent forays to the art gallery of the Poleeni Cultural Centre.
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