The inauguration of MOSA’s new exhibit ‘The Devotional Art of Kamal Ahmed’ was well received with a packed gallery of enthusiastic visitors at it’s Radhadesh gallery. MOSA director Martin Gurvich gave the following address to the viewers as part of the ceremony,

“We are excited to present this solo show by the artist Kamal Ahmed from Karnataka in South India. From the moment I saw his work, several years back with Mr R.G. Singh at Ramsons Kala Pratishtana in Mysore, I fell in love with his style and unique renditions of Krishna’s pastimes.

In order to have enough works for a solo show, we commissioned from him a series on the Ramayana (the story of Lord Rama), on the avatars (God’s incarnations) and on the devas (the demigods). To produce this body of work, he dived into each subject, perfectly capturing the essence of each pastime with his unique style. His work is very stylised, resembling illustrations for a book or even a comic. The forms and colours make for a carnival of experience, giving the stories his pictures represent new life and meaning.

His Muslim background did not at all prevent him from entering the Hindu world of the various manifestations of God and the demigods, showing us that true devotion and spirituality supersedes our birth religion. This also shows that India is a fertile land for all religions and that the interaction between them is often a positive and enriching one.

We are certain that the European and Indian diaspora visitors to Radhadesh will enjoy the works of Kamal Ahmed, and discover wonderful renditions of all the subject matters he has presented. We hope that in this time of stress, tension, violence, intolerance, and bigotry Kamal Ahmed’s works bring joy, peacefulness, tolerance and inclusiveness; in other words – what sacred art is meant to convey.”