The New Nation - Internet Edition

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

In the art arena, artists work with various mediums including watercolour, oil painting and mixed media. Their works touch the heart of the art lovers, critics and viewers. Sometimes their art works cheered the eyes of the viewers. A feminine vision including the expression of the sorrows and pains is clearly indicated by the forms and lines of an artist. Ranging from realism to expressionism and cubism, the paintings reflect the adroitness and persistence.

Promoting the freelance female artists in the country, Purbita, a non-political organisation, organised a weeklong art exhibition at the National Art Gallery of Shilpakala Academy in the capital.

Eminent artist Hashem Khan inaugurated the exhibition jointly organised by Purbita and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

Director General of Shilpakala Academy Kamrul Hasan chaired the inaugural ceremony, while Director of Fine Arts Department of Shilpakala Academy Nazrul Hoque, Purbita's founding adviser artist Kazi Mozammel Hossain and General Secretary Fahmida Khatun, among others, were present on the occasion.

The exhibition featured 46 selected artworks of 16 artists. They were Hasina Begum, Fahima Chowdhury, Selina Rahman, Farhana Siddiqa, Nipa D' Cruz, Nilufar Jahan Khan, Fahmida Khatun, Ruba Yasmin, Shakila Haq Rini, Airina Nazib, Amena Chowdhury, Anar Koli, Ruhia Zabin Tina, Zakia Jesmin Juthi, Jhinu Nahid Kamal and Lamia Ahmed. The artists had been trained by Kazi Mozammal Hussain at YWCA.

Their paintings presented aesthetic beauty of both interior and exterior of their houses, localities and landscape of the country, featuring rivers, trees, forests, seas, birds, flowers and fruits.

Artist Hashem Khan said, "This exhibition is an example for our progress in Fine Arts. We are trying our best to enrich cultural norms and values. But many a time autocratic forces hindered us from reaching the goal."

Kazi Mozammel said, "Purbita is now 17 years old and this is the eighth exhibition. It always promotes and encourages non-professional woman artists of the country."

In the Fahmida Khatun's paintings in mixed media were fairly thought provoking. In the first image she brought in the depiction of the complex existence of the city life. In her work, she presented an enchained hand holding a burning cigarette with a matchbox and an ashtray in front. This was done in a cubistic fashion with light, feminine shades, contrasted by darker ones.

In her second piece titled 'Image of Life,' she showed a woman's portrait, which was done in two separate rectangular backgrounds. To the left was a large perched butterfly flecked with flamboyant colours.

Dr Nilufar Jahan Khan, a gynaecologist by profession, had the best entrees, even though they were realistic and might not cater to the present fury for the contemporary art.

In her oil work anybody found three employees who were working at a tee stall rolling out the dough and frying the comestibles. They worked in harmony on tables and the end of a big bin.

In her other works including presentation of roots of trees with a backdrop of the sky and the falling jade coloured leaves. The romanticised delineations of tree roots were currently very much in vogue in the urban area. Her last piece brought in three large boats with red tiles and labourers, which was found in Narayanganj. The portrayal of the brick kiln and the loaders on the boats had been done with an eye for details.

The work of Zakia Jesmin Juthi was also recommendable, as it brought in the depiction of a school, where many people had studied and which floods in nostalgic memories.

The works of Nipa D'Cruz showed two hands were doing the cat's crib game. An actual string had been superimposed on the painting. The game sometimes feels the often-suffocating existence of the urban women who feel suffocated by the male dominance.

The exhibition ended on October 31.

Photo: Sharif Khan