Depicting translucent beauty

(Clockwise from top-left): Artworks by Biren Shome, Alokesh Ghosh, Shohag Parvez and Faizul Kabir.

A group watercolour exhibition, titled “Joler Dhara”, is on at Shilpangan Contemporary Art Gallery in Dhanmondi. The exhibition is the outcome of a one- and -a half -month watercolour workshop organised a few weeks ago by the Shipanu School of fine Arts at Lalmatia in Dhaka. The workshop was conducted by veteran watercolourists Alokesh Ghosh and Biren Shome. The maestros briefly described watercolour techniques, process and style of application.
Faizul Kabir and Shohag Parvez were the coordinators of the workshop. The workshop's main aim was to popularise the medium among the promising painters of the country.
Alokesh Ghosh and Biren Shome feel that the popularity of watercolour is on the wane. Currently watercolour exhibitions are few and far between in the city, though the medium can effectively depict our nature and seasons.
At the exhibition, participating painters are the students of Faculty of Fine Arts ( University of Dhaka ), Narayanganj Fine Arts Institute, Bulbul Academy of Fine Arts, Chittagong Art College and University of Development Alternative in Dhaka .
During the workshop, participating painters visited Dhanmondi Lake and Aminbazar Bridge Area to decide on their themes. At the exhibition, nature, villages, ship and boats are recurring themes. Truly praiseworthy are the works of Biren Shome, Alokesh Ghosh along with Faizul Kabir, Shohag Parvez, Arifur Rahman Tapu, Abdur Rob Jewel, Humaira Akter Lopa and Shahanoor Mamun.
Biren Shome is simultaneously a watercolourist and oil painter. His watercolours are superb in terms of personal technique and creating the effects of water. He began his career as a nature painter, demonstrating the outside world with its rich abundance of colours, views, light, shade and silence. He prefers seasonal changes, tranquil landscapes, ponds, lakes, rainbow, green paddy fields in autumn, rainy days, flowers, seashores and cloudy skies. He portrays landscape in their essential harmony. The viewers can easily relate to his themes and compositions seem familiar.
From his childhood, Alokesh Ghosh has delved deep into greenery, the beauty of rivers and rustic culture. He was born in Jamalpur and his village is close to the Brahmaputra River, where he spent his leisure time in his childhood. Most of his detailed and refined works are done in watercolour. Varied shades and tones give a distinct look to his works. Watercolour is a transparent and translucent medium. Ghosh's technique is particularly based on flat wash and thin colour. This technique gives a watery look to his works. He wants to depict the freshness and simplicity of nature. “The picturesque nature of Bangladesh always attracts me. Different colours, shapes, forms are evocative of six seasons that fascinate me,” said Ghosh.
Irin Sultana's watercolour has varied tonal effects, detailing the focus on the subject. Green, blue and white are predominant aspects in her works. Villages, ship, boats and villagers' chores have been depicted in her works. Her lines are very lyrical and spontaneous. Meticulous balancing of light and shade is another trait in her works.
Humaira Akhter's watercolour has a pictorial space where ships are immersed in the river. Some vital colours of nature find a place in her works. Her works emerge lively, as she wants to focus on neat nature.
Painters usually start to explore their creativity with the depiction of nature, greenery and the seasons of Bengal. The main reason is that nature's beauty and purity fascinate them emotionally. Shohag Parvez's continuous journey though nature makes him a landscape painter. A few years ago, his works centered on hilly areas, indigenous people and their way of life. It is true that his theme is simple but he has displayed a marked intellectual skill and passion.
The exhibition ends on July 30.