Kazi Salahuddin Ahmed's “Fragmented Unity” at AFD

Noted artist Kazi Salahuddin Ahmed's 29th solo art exhibition, titled “Fragmented Unity” is currently on at the La Galerie of the Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD).

The exhibit opened on February 1. Nasrul Hamid, State Minister for the Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources - attended the inaugural ceremony as chief guest. 

There are 10 artworks in display at the exhibition. The medium the artist has used for the artworks are acrylic paint on wood and newspaper on wood.

Salauddin's works spring from this heterogeneous mix where lives of people are marked by the joy of proximity fuelling a strong sense of belonging. This is perhaps best reflected in the architecture. The closely-built structures, the intricate patterns of the roads, the doors and the windows that open directly onto the main alleys -- all these elements forge Old Dhaka's closely-knit community.

Built by the Mughals from 15th century onwards and developed as the provincial centre of commerce of the eastern part of Bengal, Old Dhaka evokes a vis-à-vis repertory of memory and a sociality which comes with the unique imbrications of faiths, cultures and most importantly, an environment concatenated with various historical eras.

Salahuddin's works -- though they often collapse into forms and colours -- are an invocation of both the past and the present. The decaying old order, and the new spirit that seems to overwhelm the traditional macrostructure -- all this seeps into his system and compels hi, to construct fragments addressed to the rhythm of life that still seems palpable.

Kazi Salahuddin Ahmed is a prolific artist who held his first exhibition in 1987. He has participated in many  group exhibitions and carried out 28 solo exhibitions in Bangladesh and abroad, most notably in France, United States,  India,  Pakistan,  United Kingdom,  China,  Japan,  Australia,  Nepal,  Iran and Yugoslavia.

The exhibition, open from Monday to Thursday from 3pm to 9pm and on Fridays and Saturdays from 9am to12 noon and from 5pm to 8pm, until February 13.