Visitors have a look at the artworks. John Varughese / Gulf today

Imran Mojib, Special Correspondent

The Year of Tolerance Art Exhibition featuring over 250 spectacular artworks of more than 100 leading and emerging, local and international artists from diverse nationalities opened in Dubai late on Wednesday.

Ambassador of Brazil Fernando Luís Lemos Igreja, Consul General of India in Dubai Vipul, celebrated Emirati artist Abdul Qader Alrais and Khalil Abdulwahid from Dubai Culture & Arts Authority inaugurated the exhibition hosted by 2XL Furniture & Home Décor, Dubai. The event, running till Sunday, pays tribute to the UAE’s spirit of peace and equality through their dedicated artworks showcased at the Year of Tolerance Art Exhibition.

What’s remarkable is many artists have come all the way from places as far away as Brazil, Ecuador, Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, India and Iran to participate in the show.

This year also marks the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi who is remembered the world over for his teachings of tolerance and respect and during the opening ceremony Midhun Mohan, a member of Art4You Gallery supported by Jesno, paid tribute to Gandhiji with his live painting.

Part of the exhibits is also Ram Kumar Tolani’s precious coin collection that includes many rare coins and masterpieces.

Ambassador of Brazil Fernando Luís Lemos Igreja commended the 2XL Furniture & Home Décor for hosting the show. “In the UAE’s Year of Tolerance, it is a great initiative to invite artists from all over the world for this wonderful exhibition. For Brazil, which is a country very proud of its diversity and culture of tolerance, it is very important to take part in this event through the works of distinguished Brazilian artists,” he said.

Suood Al Sadi, 2XL General Manager, said, “We are proud to host this unique exhibition in commemoration of the Year of Tolerance in the UAE. Our objective with this show has been to celebrate and salute the emirates as a global capital for tolerance.”

Amit Yadav, Head of Marketing at 2XL, said, “The potential of art is enormous – be it in terms of interior design or bringing cultures and people together. Best of all art ignites ideas and allows people to share their experiences even if they see the world in radically different ways.”