Aishwarya Raihan

Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD) has long been known for hosting visual arts and crafts exhibitions alongside its performing arts and cultural programmes. The institution has also played an important role in supporting emerging artists by providing them with opportunities to establish themselves in the world of visual art and craft.

After the tumultuous 60s, a great number of Bangladeshi artists have carried the torch of artistic practice throughout the next four decades. Their work went through addition, revision, and revolution due to social, political, and religious reasons. But it has remained prominently alive and inspired the next generations of visual artists and art enthusiasts. On the evening of a hot summer weekend, Bengal Shilpalay inaugurated an exhibition featuring these influential artists of Bangladesh who shaped our art and culture.

Memory is rarely linear. It arrives in fragments – through colour, texture, sensation, and fleeting impressions of places once known. In “Earth & Memory”, artist Biplab Biprodas transforms these fragments into a series of abstract works that invite viewers into a deeply personal landscape shaped by nostalgia, nature, and remembrance.

Alliance Française de Dhaka and ARTCON are currently hosting “A Shared Condition”, the first solo exhibition by interdisciplinary artist Mubtasim Alvee, who is pursuing his MFA at the Department of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka. The exhibition explores intrapersonal physical and mental states, connections, and memories that contribute to a collective identity shaped by shared social and political histories.

Soma Surovi Jannat makes history as the first Bangladeshi artist to showcase her work in a solo exhibition titled “Climate, Culture, Care” at the Ashmolean Museum—the oldest museum in Britain and the world’s first university museum. Situated in Oxford, the museum offers residencies to South Asian artists, and for the first time, a Bangladeshi artist was given the opportunity to spend time there expanding her horizons.

I merge traditional Bangladeshi techniques with contemporary concepts, often portraying women with muscular physiques to symbolize their internal strength.

On February 14, 2026, Bhumi Gallery in Lalmatia inaugurated “One Square Stories”, a group exhibition by 20 Bangladeshi artists that centres on accessibility in art. Built around the idea that art should not remain a luxury confined to the urban upper class, the exhibition presents works created on one-square-foot canvases; compact in size, economical in medium, yet rich in detail and expression.

Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD) inaugurated “Sangkalan” on February 20, an exhibition displaying the 21st February special publications and archives in different districts of Bangladesh.

Gallery Chitrak is currently hosting “In Search of Heritage: A Travel to Varendra”, a group exhibition by some of the country’s most celebrated artists, led by Professor Emeritus Rafiqun Nabi. The exhibition draws from their recent journey to the Varendra region of Chapainawabganj and surrounding areas.

Dwip Gallery returns with another exhibition by Swiss artist Augustin Rebetez. Titled “Burn Baby Burn”, the show brings together works from Rebetez’s Light-box series alongside pieces by several emerging but underrepresented Bangladeshi artists, creating a visual space where brightness and unease coexist.

Dwip, a gallery well-known for its bold approach to art and being vocal about every social issue possible, is currently hosting a solo art exhibition by Shikdar Saikat titled “This Show is a Waste of Time”. Partnered by Ghartera and Sarridon Collective, this show talks about the current social, political, and economic situation of our country, fuelled by ignorance, fascism, extremism, misogyny, and the misuse of religion, through satire and dark humour. But just like a usual “aware” millennial, the artist made unique, high-quality artistic memes instead of going for typical or traditional methods.

Safiuddin Shilpalay inaugurated “The Color of Nature”, first solo art exhibition of artist Shahida Parveen on January 2.

In the light of these events, Bengal Foundation, one of country's biggest patrons of art and culture, launched a four-day long multidisciplinary cultural festival including an array of musical performances every evening, a craft fair, a craft workshop for children, and an art exhibition by 35 of the women artists of Bangladesh and beyond.

As a child in art school, I was known to my painting teacher as the student obsessed with landscapes. I might not have bloomed into a remarkable landscape artist, but fast forward to 2025 – after work, I dragged my exhausted self to Dwip Gallery in Lalmatia just to witness the landscape art exhibition they are currently hosting.

We often see unconventional art that keeps us wondering just how many dimensions an artist can reach through their art.

On a mild autumn evening after work, I once again found myself drawn to Bhumi Gallery to witness the magnificent art pieces that beautifully adorned its intimate spaces. Curated by Saiful Islam Lenin, “Dreamweaver” is a group exhibition showcasing the imaginative visions of 12 emerging Bangladeshi artists. Inaugurated on October 17, 2025, the event was graced by eminent artist Prof Jamal Ahmed, who attended as the chief guest and shared an inspiring address celebrating the new generation of creators.

Galerie Zoom at Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD) inaugurated a solo art exhibition by Sadrul Rafi titled “In Search of Peace” on October 17, 2025. The event was graced by Ekushey Padak–winning artist Professor Shahjahan Ahmed Bikash, who praised Rafi’s artistic finesse and the depth of his imagination.

Akangkha as a collective debut through 'Waves and Ripples', a group art exhibition curated by scholar and writer Kashfia Arif, featuring 12 artists and their 24 paintings currently adorning the walls of Safiuddin Shilpalay.

“Her and the City” is an initiative of Easel, an organisation founded by three women from diverse backgrounds and different religions who share a passion for art.

On 3rd October “A Meditation on Peace”, second solo exhibition by Farhana Afroz Bappy, curated by Shehzad Chowdhury was inaugurated at Dwip Gallery, Lalmatia in the presence of Art. Luva Nahid Chowdhury, Director General of Bengal Foundation as the chief guest.