The Mahatma, a charity art exhibition put together by the Gandhi Statue Memorial Trust and the Art Alive Gallery as a fundraiser for the statue in London’s Parliament Square, was inaugurated by India's minister of external affairs Sushma Swaraj, at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The ministry transported the art works from Delhi to Gujarat to include it with exhibits commemorating the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi's return to India.
The three-day exhibition at the Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, was also viewed by Priti Patel, the UK government's Indian diaspora champion and exchequer secretary to the Treasury, who described it as “fantastic”. Many of the art works by leading artists such as Jatin Das, Manjunath Kamath, Atul Dodiya and Sudip Roy have already been sold to both national and international buyers. Artists including Arpana Caur and Paresh Kamath are sharing the proceeds of the sale with the Gandhi Statue Memorial Trust.
The Art Alive Gallery and the Trust are actively encouraging people to contribute towards the Gandhi sculpture by buying exhibits. Lord Meghnad Desai, chair of the Gandhi Statue Memorial Trust, said: “The art exhibition has been a huge success, and it now has a further special significance because it fits in so well with the theme of Mahatma Gandhi which prevails at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. The sale of these paintings, as well as a steady stream of donations has reached more than £500,000 – and more contributions are expected in the coming weeks.”
Sunaina Anand, curator of the exhibition, said: “The exhibition was appreciated by Sushma Swaraj as well as Priti Patel. That proves not just the international appeal of Gandhi's legacy but also the success of the participating artists in depicting his life and work.
Artworks at the gallery can be viewed and bought online by visiting www.gandhistatue.org or www.artalivegallery.com For any further information please contact Lord Desai: mobile 00 44 (0)7799 661692 email: [email protected] Or Sunaina Anand: mobile 00 91 (0)9810 298800 email: [email protected] Or Kishwar Desai: 00 91 (0) 9810 406230 email: [email protected]
