“Book and Heritage”

Proshanta Karmakar Buddha is a skilled painter on the Dhaka art scene. His current solo exhibition titled “Book and Heritage” is on at Shilpangan Gallery in Dhanmondi.
Muhammad Aziz Khan, chairman of Summit Group of Companies inaugurated the 10-day art exhibition recently. Franck Rasmussen, first secretary, Embassy of Sweden and Tehmina Enayet, director of Gallery Cosmos were present as guests of honour.  Ambassador Waliur Rahman, chairman of Bangladesh Heritage Foundation, National Security and Counter Terrorism presided over the inaugural session.
At the exhibition, Proshanta's acrylic- based paintings highlight two themes---- structural heritage of the country and books of different shapes. Around 23 artworks are on display at the exhibition.
Proshanta has highlighted the significant architectural heritage of the country. He visited locations and drew them with his personal touch. He feels a strong link with simple structural designs and compositions. The painter said, “Dhaka, which once had the highest number of heritage buildings, is fast losing them. Twenty or 25 years back, the country over 600 heritage structures that have dwindled to only 350. The government should amend the law to enable maintenance of historical buildings of the country.”
The painter has also painted varied size books in shelves. He said, “The theme's aim is to increase the reading habit, broaden the intellectual faculty and promote creativity.” Proshanta feels there could be limitations in our formal education system. The exhibition highlights the significance of cultivating the reading habit.
Proshanta has held several solo and group exhibitions in different parts of the world and has received a number of prestigious awards. He has done a series of works articulating riverine life, the Bede (gypsy) lifestyle, Liberation War, Language Movement and other subjects.
The exhibition ends on February 23.