The New Nation - Internet Edition

Labyrinth of abstraction

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

“Nazia Andaleeb Preema is an artist with many faces. Painter, filmmaker, writer, editor, graphic artist and performer, she is a real 'exploratory' of artistic creation. It would be very comfortable for an artist who found his style to do and do again the same thing because 'it works.' But is this the role of the artist to never be challenged? In my view, an artist must be in perpetual search and renew himself constantly. It is also the approach chosen by Preema who does not hesitate to endanger herself, even is she needs to divert her public, offering every time works that never resembles to any other," said Jacques Bounin, Charge of the Cultural Affairs of the Alliance Frnacaise about promising artist Nazia Andaleeb Preema at her solo exhibition titled 'Labyrinth of Abstraction' at La Galerie of Alliance Francaise.

The exhibition was inaugurated on July 3. The art works of Preema were conceptual abstractionism. It contained a mass of gold and black colours.

She said, "I want to give a new dimension to my work. Gold and black are colours which artists often wish to avoid. I want to take these in my works by different ways. If anybody closely looks at black, he or she could find a combination of many hues. Earlier I used black with other colours. Now I have combined other colours on my basic of black colour.

The gold is another colour, which has power to make the painting more vibrant. I wanted to do something new to my art lovers. For this reason, I have selected these two colours in my works."

"I want to shift my paintings closer to the real life. I have tried to interlock a common platform through the varied paths. I hope it will lead all through a tangle of meditation and deep examination," she said while expressing her works.

"I believe art has no confirmation, rather it deals with possibilities. Hence I always want to try possibilities more than anything. I don't want to be the 'Prisoner of Art.'

For me painting is a feeble, unsuccessful activity, after all. But it has unlimited possibilities to go beyond and rise further. I know that art can take me more (?). For me, this is the only process, which art knows and this is the only way an artist should take," said Preema about her self-realisation on art.

Twenty-eight art works are in the show. It is mentioned that all works have unique style and presentation. None has similarity to other works.

While describing her works she mentioned that the artists Soulages and Bosch influence her. From Bangladesh, Mohammed Kibria and Safiuddin Ahmed remain her favourites, along with Shishir Bhattacharya.

In Preema's works she also included the elements that were part of the creative process.

This brings us to a new realisation that art is not limited to be a piece of painting only, it also represents elements, experience and the artist's journey through it.

She has taken successfully taken art beyond the rectangular frames that opened a horizon of possibilities for her to explore something new. It may be bring a different trend in abstract art where this new dimension would lead her and us. Only time can say it.

My Silent Manuscript

Aniruddha’s 1st solo exhibition

Art & Culture Report

“I haven't tried to portray conventional series. For this reason, I painted character separately. Series of paintings usually make us bound to think the same thing under a particular form without trying to create new intellect.

Thinking new is an inspiration of art. As a result, in the same structure, just putting limited new forms, I do not try to make art sterilised," said self expression of the art works of promising artist Aniruddha Kar at his first solo painting exhibition titled 'My Silent Manuscript' at Zainul Gallery of the Institute of Fine Arts of Dhaka University.

The exhibition was ended recently. It was inaugurated on July 1.

The collection of paintings showed a number of popular contemporary influences, particularly those of many Indian artists.

The themes were also definitely common, particularly the repeating the motif of a mourning woman, though Aniruddha said that he has tried to be as original as possible.

He himself pointed out 'magician' as representative of all the ideas of his works.

He said, "I have tried to invent what makes people to work, what force them to do anything that he or she cannot avoid even if he or she wants sincerely. I have searched the catalyst between the working and non-working activities. Sometimes I found the catalyst is nothing but 'time', sometimes it just a 'man' himself."

Aniruddha's primary colours came out boldly. This made the images striking and at times impressive. It did not confuse or capture anybody's attention, but it certainly left food for thought afterwards.

He said, "I have tried not only to represent my feelings, but also to portray the feelings of those that belong to others.

I have also tried to see the outer world from outer point of view - from their values and concept that exist. For this result, the individuality came out and portrayed on my canvas, on my colour. My emotion, enjoyment, sorrow, vulnerability, confliction of feelings, my revolution and even my cruelty."

Aniruddha, only 24-year budding artist, has completed his Bachelor Degree from the Department of Drawing and Painting from the Institute of Fine Arts of Dhaka University in 2007.

WTB to produce documentary on hoolock gibbons

Art & Culture Desk

Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh (WTB) has reached an agreement with the Global Science Production, a Hollywood film company, to produce a documentary on hoolock gibbons (Ulluk), an endangered species.

Filming for this documentary is scheduled to begin soon, WTB sources said.

Footage will be gathered from forests throughout Bangladesh, which were once a favourite abode of the hoolock gibbon.

However, deforestation and human encroachment have brought these animals to the verge of extinction.

Dr Elliott will produce this film supported by co-producer Corrin La Combe, cameraperson Sam Oldham, and gibbon expert Alan Mootnick will be flown in from the United Kingdom and the United States.

The team will spend several weeks in Bangladesh shooting and interviewing local people, conservationists and authority figures to unravel the current situation of the remaining hoolock gibbon populations of Bangladesh.

The hoolock gibbon is considered to be a valuable member of the forest ecosystem as they disperse seeds encouraging forest regeneration.

The release of this film to an international audience will help to create awareness about the plight of these animals and the need for saving them.