Feast for the eyes

Prabha Garg, one of the top artists residing in Al Ain, recently concluded an exhibition of her varied crafts at the newly-constructed town centre behind Sheikha Salama mosque. The exhibition was part of a host of other attractions that delighted the Al Ain community during the second annual Flower Festival held between April 4 and 13.

Twenty-five paintings in different media like oils, acrylics, water colours, pastels and silk screens were on display, along with puppets, dolls, three-dimensional art and portraits.

Garg holds the distinction of being the only artist invited to exhibit her work during the fest. She maintains that she found the response to her work very encouraging as crowds visited the venue daily during the 10-day event.The Emarati visitors found the portraits especially fascinating and realistic. A lot of women also expressed interest in learning the various art forms. The dolls, too, attracted much admiration and many requests were received for puppets from schools.

Though it was her first participation in the Flower Festival, on a personal front Garg found it to be a most rewarding experience as it allowed her work to be witnessed on a massive scale and enjoyed by a diverse audience.

The artist expressed a strong desire to be part of the next year's fest too, but also hoped that the artistic events would receive better publicity. She would also like to see more artists invited and a seperate venue alloted to the art and photography exhibitions and competitions.

Garg has held many exhibitions in different emirates. Her work can be viewed at the Abu Dhabi Tourist Club on May 6, and she will also be showing during the Dubai International Art Centre's exhibition scheduled for June.