Brush Strokes: Nights in Marrakech

The Chugani Family

Mr. Ajit and Juhi Gidwani

Marq Herrera's KALI-MA

Namaste!

Nights in Marrakech is the third group exhibit to date by the Brush Strokes, a group of painters doing thematic exhibits. Brush Strokes members Marq Herrera, Cynthia Vera Faren, Leee Caesar Atas, JM Esteban, Francis Zamora, Joanne Ferraris Gancita and Chris Marie Dumasis thought of such a concept to share the richness of the trade and the beauty of the harem in this city of ours.

Marrakech is known as the red City, the most important former imperial city in Morocco’s history. This city has the largest traditional market and is the busiest squares in the world: Charming us with its acrobats, storytellers, dancers and musicians. And Brush Strokes together with SM Mall Bacolod brought Morocco right at the heart of the Event Center to celebrate with the crowd the magic, the allure and the culture that only the sands and the sun of Marrakech can bring. Brush Strokes official curator Marq Herrera once again transformed the event center into something filled with curtains with an Alhambra backdrop ….taking us into the world where magic carpets, genies and Moroccan love are real and alive.

And in Bacolod, the closest thing what could ever compare to the richness, the appeal and the enchantment of Morocco is the Indian community who has been in the city of Bacolod for almost 70 years now. When our Indian brothers and sisters left their country in search for greener pastures, that dream did not fail them. For now they are very active in the fields of retail outlets, wholesale business, food business and call centers. Not to mention the fact that they are an active community doing social works like having a Day Care Center for the unprivileged children of Bacolod. That’s why last September 5, 2011, SM Mall Bacolod and Brush Strokes give tribute to the Indian community as a way of saying "Bahut Bahut Shukria" (means many many thanks).

By doing this exhibit, Brush Strokes builds the gap, the differences in the culture and the traditions of the Moslems and the Indians. After all, we are all one and that it is only through art, that we can always and forever be comrades.

The programme started with an Ave Maria prayer and it was followed by a belly dancing performance by Rianna Chugani. The VIPs were lead by Sony Golez, the president of the Art Association of Bacolod, by one of the most distinguished female artists Moreen Austria, by the beautiful Juhi Gidwani, a La Salle psychology student who has the dream of putting up a foundation for the underprivileged kids and last but not the least, the owner of Nim Collection, Mr. Harish Chugani. The event was also graced by the presence of the President of the AFINO or of the Association of Filipino-Indian in Negros Occidental (whose goal is to create better and deeper affinity with Filipinos), Mr. Ajit Gidwani and his other Indian friends. The programme ended with a very adorable Indian choreography dance, "I hate lovesong" which was participated again by Rianna and his brother Ishan Chugani.

Brush Strokes is indeed very lucky to have met business partners , both old and new who continue to help us achieve our goal which is to create positivity, beauty and advocacy through Art. SM Bacolod, Our Home, Nim Collection, AFINO, Negros Daily Bulletin, and of course our families and friends who are always there giving us more motivation to create more beautiful things together.