Halide Salam's 'Drawings and Works on Paper' at Gallery Twenty One

Photo: Shanto Lawrence Costa

Gallery Twenty One in Dhanmondi has organised a solo exhibition, Drawings and Works on Paper by artist Halide Salam. Professor Dhali Al Mamoon, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Chittagong, and art critic, Moinuddin Khaled, jointly inaugurated the exhibition on March 1.

Halide Salam came to the USA from a war torn country, because her parents feared for her life; as well as the lives of her brothers who were sent to the United Kingdom. However, her passion for painting was born from a very personal connection she made with Vincent Van Gogh in Paris, a connection of the spirit.

She went on to earn a Master of Art in Painting and Drawing from New Mexico High-lands University (Las Vegas, NM) and a PhD in Fine Arts from Texas Tech University (Lubbock, TX). Halide also completed post-graduate work in Sacred Geometry and Sacred Art Traditions under Dr Keith Critchlow (Professor at the Royal College of Art in London), as well as at the Prince of Wales' Institute of Architecture (London, England) from 1994 to 1996.

Photo: Shanto Lawrence Costa

Her decision to become an instructor of art and teach painting was at the request of her mentor and professor, Dr Reid Hastie.

As a full-time professor in Radford University's Art department, Halide is responsible for teaching all levels of painting, ensuring that her students gain new skills and thorough knowledge of the subject matter. She teaches her students historical and contemporary art practice, theories, criticism, and aesthetics. She is also committed to collaborative and cross-disciplinary teaching activities, most recently creating an international course with the Criminal Justice department.

Photo: Shanto Lawrence Costa

Along with her duties as a painting instructor, Halide advises and mentors graduate students in the development and completion of their master thesis. She also contributes to the university through curriculum development, assessment and institution-wide advancement.

She was nominated for the 2008 Best Nonfiction National Award for her book, 'Between 2 Spaces: Reflections on the Spiritual in Art.' She has exhibited and lectured in numerous museums and galleries nationally and internationally and received a number of art awards and fellowships.

Drawings and Works on Paper will remain open till March 10, daily from 12 noon to 8 pm.