Shillong, May 2: Artists from at least three countries will assemble for an art residency at Sohra from this week to promote the unique natural and historical heritage of the Khasi hills of Meghalaya.

Organised by the Picasso Pupils International Art Community, the International Art Residency is in collaboration with the Shillong Public School and supported by the Meghalaya government and the embassy of the Slovak Republic in New Delhi.

A visual artist and founding member of the Picasso Pupils International Art Community, Jana Bednarova, who has been camping here, said the International Art residency is based on cultural exchange and aims at creating a platform for growth of the art scene in the Northeast.

"We are bringing visual artists from Europe and we are interested in their creative reflection of the uniqueness of this region, and the collaboration with the local youth and artists on a cross cultural platform," Bednarova, who hails from Slovakia, said.

The opening public art activity, art wall painting, will be held on May 14 while the final exhibition will be held on May 28. She said the art residency aims to be an annual affair. The art works would bring to the global stage the artistic collaboration between India and Europe, she added.

"The embassy of the Slovak Republic is planning to dedicate this art project and subsequent artistic cooperation under Slovakia's 2016 Presidency of the Council of the European Union," Bednarova said.

The artists' point aims to create a platform using "art as a language" between diverse cultures and to introduce a dialogue between diverse art forms .

Artists who are participating in the endeavour include Juliana Mrvova, visual artist from Slovakia, Barbora Chlastakova, visual artist and art teacher from the Czech Republic, Gabriela Valls Schorr, musician, miniature painter and writer from Spain, Patricia Hillaire-Darrigrand, visual artist from Spain, Jan Praan, visual artist from the Czech Republic.

The others are visual artists Eliska Fialova, Dominik Bouma and Kateina Pakna from the Czech Republic.

The artists will share their experiences and knowledge through workshops for the youth and by displaying their art work.

Bednarova added that the artists would gather knowledge about the history, mythology and folklore related to the places of Meghalaya, which they would visit and experience during their stay.

Some of the places include Tyrna, Nongriat, Mawsmai caves, Mawlynnong, Riwai root bridge, Wahkhen, and Mawphlang sacred grove.

"The untouched beauty, with many myths and folktales of the hills, will create a mirror of thoughts and visualisations in artists, maybe as a painting, a song or a poem," Bednarova said.

Picasso Pupils International Art Community was born under the non-profit organisation, Global Academy Educational Society.

Besides Bednarova, the community consists of Gabriela Valls Schorr, musician and painter from Spain, Alakesh Dutta, musician and song writer and Kallol Nath, actor. Dutta and Nath are from the Northeast.

The Picasso Pupils International Art Community wants to "explore the world" deep into the roots like Leonardo Da Vinci. It wants to listen to the symphony of birds while searching for new tunes like Beethoven. And it wants to search in the art the inner and outer reality in the present authentic forms, like Pablo Picasso's painting The Violin.