East Ham artist’s farewell dinner before India trip

Artist Alan Osborne who will soon to be jetting off to India

Kay Atwal, Chief Reporter Tuesday, October 16, 2012
4:10 PM

Artist Alan Osborne will be heading off to India to begin work for an exhibition in Mumbai.

To mark the occasion, East Ham MP Stephen Timms will be among other attending a farewell dinner in Brick Lane tonight (Oct 17).

Alan, 63, from East Ham will travel to New Delhi in India this November for the first part of his next two exhibitions – one in Mumbai in January 2013 and the other back in London in Spring 2013.

Alan was lucky enough to receive an Orientation Grant from the Nehru Centre last November, after his second successful solo show was exhibited there.

Made in India was an instant success amongst the local community in Newham, East London and Alan’s colourful abstract work was a hit with the Nehru Centre – the Cultural Arm of the Indian High Commission. He will be working alongside other artists and academics in India for three months.

Alan said: “This trip to India is a dream come true for me. I will be working in a studio in Gujarat to produce an exhibition later in Mumbai. That exhibition will be the result of living amongst the people of India and understanding further the many issues affecting them today.

“The Nehru Centre have kindly asked me to put on another show there in March when I return, to coincide with the colourful Holi Festival. I hope this will be the culmination of my learning and study of the culture during my time in India.”

Alan travelled throughout India a few years ago when, as a former successful businessman and a recovered alcoholic, he decided to change his life. The result so far has been two successful solo shows in London, the first, Elysium in the Modern World, featured on BBC London news in July 2010.