The latest edition of WOW (Wednesday on Walls) art exposition that opened on Wednesday, May 2, at the Al Majlis Café, inside City Season’s Hotel, is not about what artists see when they get down to paint a landscape, but rather about how they see what they see, in a kind of a prismatic way.

The City Seasons Hotels has been organizing these month-long exhibitions for two-three years to showcase the talent of artists by providing them space free of charge.

Titled Firdous, the Persian word for Paradise, the exhibition brought together 15 women artists, who painted the same Omani landscape of the PDO hills.

Artist Tarinis Agarwal, who has conceived the exhibition and curated it too says: “The collective has 15 artists and it is a unique show because it is a product of a group of artists learning together, who decided to paint and interpret the same Omani landscape using a variety of colours to invoke emotions in the viewer.

Tarini adds: “We all experience a slice of paradise by living in this peaceful, scenic country, with its gentle and warm-hearted people.
The paintings evoke emotions of peace and serenity in the viewers.
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‘Firdous’ was inaugurated by a prominent Art of Living member, Kamal Ajay Khimji. The way her face would light up every time she stopped to admire a painting, was ample testimony to the artists’ abilities to capture the emotions of the viewers.

The artists participating in this expo are: Deepal Gheewala, Pragya Bhatnagar, Erica Barrow, Profulla Robert, Preethy Dileep
Hina Dharamsey, Elizabeth Davis, Soni Budhia , Harini Kumar, Shalini Kartik, Shalini Varma , Anjali Babu, Khursheed Raja, Rashmi Dauria and Tarini Agarwal

Many of the artists have given their comments about their participation in this one-of-a-kind art exhibitions

Anjali says, “I am very impressed by the natural and cultural heritage of Oman. This is where I find the inspiration for my art.”

Rashmi Dauria, is a graduate of the prestigious Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Art, Mumbai where she completed her Diploma in Commercial Art.

Deepal says “Pursuing art gives her a wonderful feeling of satisfaction.”

Elizabeth has rediscovered painting after a long break and she is thoroughly and passionately enjoying it. The captivating mountains of Oman are her inspiration for abstraction.

Erica Barrow is a marketing professional who loves dabbling in art. She started off with doodles and recently moved to painting. Harini Kumar is a Fine Arts Graduate from Stella Maris College Chennai, India. She works with a variety of mediums – chiefly oil and acrylics.

Preethy is a versatile artist exploring different mediums while pursuing a career in designing and teaching.

Profulla feels that in this fast paced world, the play of colors and shapes in nature gives her a feeling of peace and harmony.
Khursheed’s work is a constant search for the best way to interpret the ideas that she has about herself and the world she lives in.

Shalini Kartik is an up-and-coming artist with a penchant for mixed media on canvas. She is a self-taught artist inspired by the rich culture and beauty of this country.

Soni is another artist deeply influenced by the rich culture of Oman. She has been always deeply interested in culture, traditions and heritage of Oman. Her inclination towards Omani culture is reflected in her creations.