ISLAMABAD-There were several ambassadors and other diplomats present, when Slahuddin Choudry opened the doors to the spacious lower section of his new house in G-13/2, where the new gallery ‘Aimonay’ is located, using ‘connect’ as the theme for year 2023. The inaugural exhibition remains open for a few more days. 
 Belgian Ambassador Charles Delogne cut the ribbon to open it all, with the Bangladesh High Commissioner Rahul Alam Siddique on his side. Among the close to a dozen young artists was also a former Pakistani High Commissioner Naela Chohan but her works were not for sale, only for display.  
The included Hassan Ali, Iram Wani, Maha Misha Fatima, Nadia Rahat Nazir Hunzai, Rashda Farida, Sohaina Elia, Yashfa Raza, Zaira Ahmad Zaka, and Saima Slahuddin (Aimonay) who was also been the main curator of the exhibition. True, most of the artists were women, but some men were also represented.
A European spectator said he enjoyed Nadia Rahat’s paintings including a red umbrella, reminding her of Newcastle, the ‘umbrella town’ of the UK. The wife of the Bangladesh high commissioner thought it reminded her of Bergen, the tourist capital of Norway on the country’s rainy West Coast. However, when she had visited the city, the weather had been sunny and beautiful, she said.
 Ambassador (r) Salahuddin Choudhry and his daughter Aimonay were enthusiastic about the art exhibition in a relatively new residential area of Islamabad, a bit away from the typical places for such exhibitions, but easily accessible by car near main highways. They explained that there would also be music at some of the gatherings, as part of celebrating the World Music Day earlier this month.