A five-day art exhibition "Maitri-India China Artists' Residency" was inaugurated at the Diggi Palace in Jaipur on November 5. The residency & exhibition has been organized by ICCR with the support of Shanghai Women's Federation (SWF), Shanghai People's Association For Friendship with Foreign Countries (SPAFFC) and the Consulate General of India, Shanghai. The residency comprises 10 women artists from India & 9 (7 women artists) from China. The artists will have painting sessions and will participate in workshops including that of Chinese water colours. During the residency, the artists will also intermingle socially and exchange views on art forms prevalent in their respective countries. The Residency marks the first cultural interactive initiative between India and China after the visit of the Chinese President Mr. Xi Jinping.

Chinese artists participating are Chen Yinyin, Tang Baolin, He Daqiao, Liu Yuanshan, Wang Yuhong, Wang Xin, Lu Yuwei, Zhao Aihua and Yang Yan. And among the Indian artists are Gogi Saroj Pal, Bulbul Sharma, Kanchan Chander, Rekha Rao, Asma Menon, Nupur Kundu, Meenakshi Kasliwal, Sheetal Gattani, Madhuri Bhaduri and Kiran Murdiya. The residency is curated by art curators Kumar Vikas Saxena and Sonika Agarwal.

Art and culture flourishes in peace and is in turn a promoter of peace, understanding, patience and empathy. An effort to understand another culture forms the subtext to enhanced appreciation of the other. Hosting an artists' residency encourages similar sentiments of Diversity in Harmony. Fine art gives visual character to the thoughts which has cultural significance. Working together in a creatively charges atmosphere, ideas flow freely and exchange happens seamlessly. The residency promotes a feeling of belonging and gives an opportunity to the artist to develop not just a piece of art but also strong bonds with each other while celebrating diversity.

The ICCR was founded in 1950 by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, independent India's first Education Minister. Its objectives are to actively participate in the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes pertaining to India's external cultural relations; to foster and strengthen cultural relations and mutual understanding between India and other countries; to promote cultural exchanges with other countries and people; and to develop relations with national and international organizations in the field of culture.