Highlighting diverse styles and themes

A solo exhibition titled “Deconstructing” by artist Khalid Mahmood Mithu is on at the Athena Gallery of Fine Arts in the city. This is his 11th solo exhibition consisting of 101 paintings. The paintings offer a wide range of subjects. The solo exhibition was inaugurated recently. Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali was present as chief guest at the inauguration. Abul Khair, chairman of Bengal Foundation was present as guest of honour while Dan W. Mozena, US ambassador to Bangladesh was present as special guest. Veteran painters Syed Jahangir and Monirul Islam were also present at the event.  
As a pure abstract painter, Mithu's works feature pure forms and compositions. His colours are both vibrant and subdued and the forms are not well defined.  Mithu has made a great attempt to produce some alien features through his paintings. At the exhibition, his paintings look more rigid on account of the use of sparse space and varied amorphous forms. Blue, red, yellow, emerald and yellowish brown are noticeable colours.
 Mithu has done a number of series where his personal observation, social, cultural and political aspects have been in focus. Several objects like wrecked chair, cup of tea, form of fish, horse in different sizes, rickshaw, and an empty bench appear in his paintings. He allows his paintings to emerge naturally by building up many layers. The artist, however, often seems to experiment in unnecessary ornamentation where space is very limited. His paintings need more flexibility. The painter's mode of expression is not certainly single. His works are regarded as pure abstract, occasionally semi-realistic. His lines are often curved and fleshy. Fragmented shapes and scattered forms are noticeable too.
The exhibition will continue till May 15.