A new frontier in growing engagement between the Gulf and India opened this week when 18 artists from Bahrain exhibited their works in the Indian capital under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, wife of the King of Bahrain and President of Bahrain's Supreme Council for Women.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Mahesh Sharma, India’s Minister for Culture, in the presence of a large number of art connoisseurs at Bikaner House, New Delhi.

In its next phase, the exhibition, organised by Art Bahrain Across Borders, Bahrain’s foremost international art fair, will move to Mumbai and welcome art lovers from 30th November onwards at the city’s cultural hub, the Bombay Art Society. ArtBAB’s India initiative is organised in collaboration with the Rouble Nagi Art Foundation of Mumbai.

Maram bint Isa Al Khalifa, Director of the Office of H.H. Sheikha Sabeeka, said at the high profile inauguration in New Delhi, "We are confident that our association with India will go a long way in promoting Bahraini artists and also in fostering a connect between creative enthusiasts from both countries through unparalleled exchange programmes of artistic nurturing and growth."

Although India has a long history of multi-faceted collaboration with the Gulf states, art exchanges have been rare. ArtBAB’s show in New Delhi, themed "The Unsaid," represents a new phase in engagement between the two sides. Maram bint Isa Al Khalifa said that the occasion provides excellent exposure for the Bahraini artists who are part of the tour of India.

Kaneka Subberwal, Fair Director and Programme Head of ArtBAB, said "Cultural diplomacy is an important vehicle of friendship between nations. This friendship is our first mandate. It is a mission as well as vision."

Alka Raghuvanshi, who curated the exhibition, said "Art is an essential part of the life of all the 18 participating Bahraini artists, allowing them freedom of artistic expression and a platform to explore their creativity. This exhibition, "The Unsaid," says more by way of not saying it and yet saying it so beautifully and lyrically."