Shimla, Feb. 8 : A painting exhibition, showcasing the works of famous women artistes, is underway in Himachal’s Shimla district to mark International Women''s Day.

The exhibition, which started on Sunday (Feb. 7), has paintings by over 20 women artistes hailing from different parts of India. The paintings represent the female form in sundry imaginative ways.

It’s a month-long exhibition, which has been jointly organized by National Lalit Art Academy and the Language and Culture Department of Himachal Pradesh state, to mark International Women''s Day, which is celebrated every year on March 08.

There are 38 paintings put on display by eminent women artistes, including Arpana Kaur, Devyani Krishna, Arpita Singh, Kavita Nayar, Wahida Ahmed, Rini Dhumal, Madhavi Parekh and Anjani Reddy amongst others.

"We have displayed 38 paintings in this exhibition. And all these are paintings of eminent and famous women artistes from across India. These paintings are a depiction of the whole of India. The main objective of the event is to celebrate International Women''s Day on March 08. This exhibition can be termed as a curtain-raiser and we are dedicating it to all women artistes," said Sudhakar Sharma, the organizer of the painting exhibition.

The exhibition also aims to encourage and motivate women artistes and contemporary art forms, as a whole.

Art lovers and tourists in Shimla are visiting the exhibition in big numbers.

"I am enjoying everything. And the little bit I know about art and understand from these paintings is that they are very exclusive, each one of them. Till today in painting exhibitions, only men artists were getting the focus. I am feeling proud that this time women are being focused on in this section of art and painting," said Ankita, a tourist from Kolkata city. (ANI)