Guwahati: Assam became a vibrant centre of cultural exchange as international artists from Africa participated in a special painting and heritage campaign organised in Guwahati and nearby eco-cultural locations under the 4th India–Africa Forum Summit 2026.

The programme was organised by the North East Zone Cultural Centre in collaboration with Lalit Kala Akademi under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, with support from the Ministry of External Affairs.

The painting campaign was held from May 20 to 24 under the theme “India through the Lens of Africa.” Around 40 distinguished visual artists from nearly 54 African countries visited important cultural centres across India, including New Delhi, Udaipur, Mumbai, Goa, Kolkata, Nagpur and Guwahati. Guwahati was selected as one of the key venues in the Northeast, with NEZCC acting as the nodal agency for the regional programme.

Artists who participated in the Guwahati chapter included Ashley Munsamy, Amel Benmohamed, Salaheddine Bouanani and Wanja Githua. They took part in painting sessions and cultural activities across Assam.

On May 21, a major painting campaign was organised at Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary. The delegates first went on a jeep safari inside the sanctuary, where they explored Assam’s rich biodiversity and observed the famous one-horned rhinoceros, elephants, wild boars and wild buffaloes.

Later, a live outdoor painting session was held at Maibong Resort in Pobitora, where the artists created artworks inspired by India’s wildlife, culture and natural beauty from African perspectives.

The camp activities were coordinated by nationally recognised artist Kukima Kakati and Liaison Officer Deepak Kumar.

An interaction session with media persons, forest officials and wildlife workers was also organised to discuss wildlife conservation, eco-cultural awareness and the role of art in promoting environmental consciousness.

The programme team was led by Gayatri Mathur along with Naba Kumar Bharali as Programme Coordinator. The event was supervised by Oliver T. Pongen, who served as the Nodal Officer for the Northeast regional camp.

Priyanka Gogoi attended the programme and welcomed the delegates and artists. Ujjal Choudhury also participated in the interaction session and shared insights into conservation efforts at Pobitora.

On May 23, the artists visited Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, where they explored Assam’s cultural heritage and traditions. A felicitation and certificate distribution programme was also organised for the delegates.

The artists later visited the Shilpgram complex under NEZCC. The delegates were welcomed by Ashim Debnath on behalf of the Kalakshetra Society, while Secretary Sudarshan Thakur felicitated the visiting artists.

Officials said the programme successfully promoted cultural exchange, artistic collaboration and stronger people-to-people ties between India and African nations through art and heritage.

The nationwide painting camp was supervised by Himanshu Dabral, who served as the Nodal Officer of the Ministry of Culture representing Lalit Kala Akademi.