First Karnaphuli Folk Triennial 2015 concludes
The first Karnaphuli Folk Triennial 2015, jointly organised by Santaran Art Organization and Gallery Charja, concluded yesterday. It shed light on eight traditional folk and popular art trends -- Madhubani painting, Patachitra, Thanka painting, Paubha painting, Mithila painting, Cinema banner painting, Rickshaw art (appliqué) and traditional alpana of Chittagong -- of three countries: Bangladesh, India and Nepal.
The international triennial featured two group exhibitions -- one in Chittagong's Artist Rashid Chowdhury Art Gallery, Institute of Fine Arts, University of Chittagong and another at National Art Gallery, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka. Professor Emeritus Anisuzzaman inaugurated the exhibition as chief guest on September 13 while Professor Nisar Hossain, Dean, Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka, attended the event as special guest.
Apart from the exhibitions, Dorjee Gurung Lama (Dorjee Karmarong), a famous Thanka Painter of Nepal, conducted a workshop on traditional Thanka and Paubha painting of Nepal at Gallery Charja in Dhaka.
The triennial also included a seminar and presentation both in Chittagong and Dhaka. As part of the event, Oriental Painting Study Group facilitated two seminars along with visual presentations at Lecture Theatre, Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka. A Dhaka University lecturer Sanjay Chakraborty and art historian Shawon Akand presented two essays on the subjects “Traditional Alpana of Chittagong” and “Present State of Folk and Traditional Art and a Way of Progress and Persistence” respectively on September 14.
The second day's (September 15) seminar featured presentations by Santaran and artist Mustafa Zaman delivering lecture on the topic “Reflection of Folk, Popular and Traditional Forms in Contemporary Art and Idea” at the same venue. The seminar and presentations were held in Chittagong as well.
Folk and popular art reflects an entire gamut of sensibilities. As such, they bring into view important cultural heritage of a nation.
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