The New Nation - Internet Edition

'Union of Uniqueness’: Exposition by 2 contemporary artists

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

“The speed of thought, very second of impulse, sensation and reaction confronted with in the physical and emotional parameters and the tangled reality of the subjective and objective world is what I bring into portrayal within the exorcism of drawing and painting. I find my mind to be a vague ground of saturated landscape. Elements of space line, co lour is almost translation of the structured reality we perceive. I tend to bring juice out of the familiar to see the unfamiliar, eventually driven to ecstatic experience of life and to break my own preconceived ways of understanding. With various facets of desire reaction and survival … to exist into the never ending discovery of the mind, and how one can perform the transform pain sorrow and entire sorts of human emotions all that our eyes and other senses can follow, into virtually of painting," said Bangladeshi artist Javed Jalil at an exposition of two contemporary artists from Bangladesh and India titled 'Union of Uniqueness' jointly organised by Art Club Bangladesh and Kolkata based Creative Art and Craft Centre at Art Club in Gulshan in the capital. The exhibition was concluded recently.

The Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty inaugurated the 18-day duet exhibition. Earlier, the organisers jointly organised another exhibition in Mumbai in India.

Avijit Mukherjee, another participant artist from India, said, "When the whole world has been almost reduced to ashes by the act of terrorism its every corner is inundated by bloodshed.

Man has forgotten to inhale the essence of peace. In this predicament, I am ardent to have peace in true sense. It is my moral responsibility and sincere pledge to do something amidst my very little capability. To fight against all evil forces and to pave the way of peace, I am fancy to present my paintings as the only weapon I have."

A total of 51 art works - 30 by Avijit Mukherjee and 21 by Javed Jalil - were displayed. The title of the exposition was significant as both the artists' expressions were unique and deal with human emotion. Fine colours were used just to create the required environment of Javed Jalil's paintings. Dealing with the psyche of the figures, Jalil dealt with the contemporary social environment, where human emotion was animalistic.

Javed basically focuses on line. His paintings were not just mere nude women figures rather through different types of lines Jalil created several symbols and forms on the figures, which represented the inner emotions such as various facets of desire, reaction, urge to survive in midst of turmoil, pain, tension and anxiety.

On the otherhand, Avijit presented human emotions through creating various layers on the figures. Sometimes he unveiled the organs under the skin to represent emotion. Vibrant colours were used on his acrylic canvases. In case of other mediums, Avijit used light colours.

"Peace is the most precious wealth what we always pray for. To achieve that goal of peace we are to contemplate penance. As such I have dedicating my painting to that auspicious object," said Avijit.

In the texture and imagery visual concept of Avijit' canvas, desire came through poetic messages - peaceful rhythm of human imagination, passion, nostalgic journey from past to present in its sphere of human imagination, love and childhood dreams. But his treatment was interesting in the sense that fantasy created on the canvases had got the power to disseminate imagination in an acquisitive world.

Avijit said, "In my mind and brush, desire comes through the poetic message of the human emotions in its texture and imaginary visual concept."

Innovative beauty in ceramics

Art & Culture Report

“Among all the media of art, Ceramics is the most ancient which started thousand years ago. Ceramics art itself is expensive and very difficult to do, still the young artist Afroja Chowdhury started her works after completion of post graduate degree in the Institute of Fine Arts," Swapan Kumar Sikder, Head of the Department of Ceramics of the Institute of Fine Arts of Dhaka University, said this about the first solo exhibition of promising ceramics artist Afroja Chowdhury Happy titled 'Innovative Beauty in Ceramics' at Zainul Gallery of the Institute of Fine Arts in the capital.

The exhibition was inaugurated on May 10. Eminent artist and Director of Fine Arts Institute Abdus Sakoor Shah inaugurated the exhibition as chief guest, while Swapan Kumar Sikder, Head of the Department of Ceramics and artist Ferdousi Priyobhashini were present as special guests on the occasion.

Afroja's all works, which are taking place in the show, were done for the last two and half years. Some 200 ceramics works including various designed cupboards and teapots and plates are taking place in the display.

The exhibition will end on May 16. Gallery remains open from 12:00 noon to 8:00pm everyday.

Bengal Foundation releases 'Mukto Koro Bhoy’

Art & Culture Report

Bengal Foundation launched a musical CD titled 'Mukto Koro Bhoy,' songs based on 'Swadesh' phase of Rabindranath Tagore, to celebrate the birth anniversary of Tagore at Bengal Shilpalaya in the city on Tuesday.

Air Vice Marshal (Retd) AK Khondakar Bir Uttam, Vice Commander-in-Chief of the Liberation War, was present as chief guest at the CD launching ceremony.

There are songs of eight artistes take place in the album. Artistes are - Iffat Ara Dewan, Mita Haq, Bulbul Islam, Mohiuzzaman Chowdhury, Adity Mohsin, Laisa Ahmed Lisa, Fahim Hossain Chowdhury and Sajed Akbar.

A speciality is found in the songs and poems of Rabindranath Tagore in 'Swadesh' phase.

Tagore's family has a great contribution in Bengali patriotic songs.

Rabindranath was best of them. He turned Bengali patriotic songs into the national resources in all times. His contribution in the Bengali musical arena is unforgivable.

'Partnership in Practice’: Photography exhibition by Saiful Huq Omi

Art & Culture Report

“Could you please bring a cup of tea for the guest?" - This was the starting point of a conversation photographer Saiful Huq Omi recorded. Omi was interviewing Nazmun Nahar Mukul, President of one of the Water Management Association in Patuakhali. The request does not sound unusual, yet in our country - particularly in rural areas - we do not hear a wife asking her husband to make tea that often. This was a sign of change, the photographer observed.

"It was not easy! During the journey I met women who have achieved the identity of equality. They do not think they are less capable than any men and more importantly the men around them have started to feel the same. I met people who believe they are strong and have enough potential to bring about changes. It was the journey, which has produced an enormous sense of respect in my own mind for the hardworking government people working day and night to improve the lives of the have-nots. I met field workers who wake up with the sun, travel mile after mile from one village to another, talk to the people in person, know their problems and at the end of the day make the people realise their own strength - the strength to solve their own problems the strength to change their own future," described Saiful Huq Omi about his solo photography exhibition titled' Partnership in Practice' held at Drik Gallery in the capital. The exhibition was inaugurated on May 1 and was ended on May 10.

Integrated Planning for Sustainable Water Management (IPSWAM) and Char Development and Settlement Project (CDSP) organised the exhibition.

Bea Ten Tusscher, Ambassador of the Netherlands inaugurated the exhibition. Omi decided to record the changes of people's participation in coastal region of the country. For the project he went to Khulna, Patuakhali and Noakhali for one month. Around 10 days in each area photos were taken by him highlighted different aspects of change, the most profound being gender equation.

Speciality of the exhibition was that all photos at the exhibition were black and white. According to Omi, "Black and white is my preferred medium. I feel that colour is sometimes overpowering and it becomes the subject itself."

Asked what inspired him to take on this project, Omi said his friend Andrew Jenkins, team leader of the IPSWAM, often talked about the social changes in the areas he worked.

Photograph of a labourer, with his spade, ready to strike was quite dramatic. The sky with an abundance of dark clouds in the background looked ominous but the worker sports a faint smile.

Another photo framed a middle-aged man apparently content with his pigeon. An image showed dusk settling down on Boyar Char - man or cattle - time for everyone to return home.

Photographs also brought in despair and calamity in the making. A photo showed erosion in 'Caring Char.'

The Government's Ministry of Water Resources in cooperation with the Netherlands Government undertook the IPSWAM programme. The project is implemented by the Third Planning Directorate (DP-III) of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) in assistance with the consultants Arcadis-Euroconsult of the Netherlands and Socioconsult of Bangladesh. The exhibition will likely go to the UK and the Netherlands soon.