Dhaka Art Summit kicks off

Clockwise (from top): Artworks by Mohammad Wahiduzzaman, Ratnashwar Sutradhwar, Titu Dev Nath and Ashraful Hasan. Photo: Golam Mahbub

Samdani Art Foundation (SAF), in collaboration with Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) and Bangladesh National Museum (BNM), has organized the first Dhaka Art Summit (DAS). The four-day event kicked off yesterday at National Theatre Hall, BSA.
Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith inaugurated the summit as chief guest. Farooq Sobhan, chairman of the advisory committee of Dhaka Art Summit, was present as the special guest. Liaquat Ali Lucky, director general of BSA; Nadia Samdani, chief executive officer of SAF; artist Shahabuddin Ahmed, chairman of trustee board, SAF; Mahmood Sattar, managing director of the City Bank Ltd, delivered speeches at the inauguration.
Among the works on display are those of senior artists Murtaja Baseer, Samarjit Roy Chowdhury, Rafiqun Nabi, Monirul Islam, Hamiduzzaman Khan, Kalidas Karmakar, Syed Abdullah Khalid, Biren Shome, Shahabuddin Ahmed as well as others.
Paintings of Ranjit Das, Ahmed Tajuddin, Mohammad Eunus, Mohammad Muniuzzaman, Sheikh Afzal, Mohammad Iqbal, Kanak Chanpa Chakma, Laila Sharmeen and others have enriched the summit.
Many young artists are taking part in the summit with their paintings, prints, installations, photo installations, video installations and sculptures. Among the young participants, some notable names are: Mahbubur Rahman, Tayeba Begum Lipi, Ronnie Ahmmed, Anukul Chandra Majumdar, Maksuda Iqbal Nipa, Ashraful Hasan, Ripon Saha, Ratnashwar Sutradhwar, Mohammad Wahiduzzaman, Sanjib Datta, Nazia Andaleeb Preema, Proshanto Karmakar, Subrata Das, Titu Dev Nath, Nagarbashi Barman and Kamruzzaman.
At the summit, Ripon Saha's work is seemingly inspired by Pop Art. In his painting, many encircled patterns are noticeable, which highlight human movements from different perspectives. As an urbanite, the painter feels the progress of technology has greatly influenced his personal life. He works with the motifs that have accompanied him throughout his life. He has closely observed urban life, its merits and pitfalls.
As an enthusiastic observer of nature, Mohammed Shazzad Hoshen Khan has passionately experimented with birds and animal forms. The painter is seemingly concerned about the extinction and endangerment of some species of animals in Bangladesh.
Ratnashwar Sutradhwar's mode of expression is figurative. His themes include social-political instability, road accidents and deterioration of law and order in the country. The painter's use of innumerable square pixels, where two images intertwine, is novel.
Anukul Chandra Majumdar's works delve deep into motherhood, childhood and unadulterated rustic elements. His figures are replete with substance. The artist likes to portray human emotions. The artist is keen on the relationship between mother and child.
Sanjib Datta, from Chittagong, is a powerful painter. His protagonists on canvas are usually neglected urban characters. His works mirror the bitter realities of the current socio-economic and political scenes. Tokai (street children) collecting garbage from a bin, near a high-rise, is one of his images at the summit.
Ashraful Hasan is one of the brighter painters of his generation, and has made a strong impact on the recent Bangladeshi art scenario. His canvas features superb detailing with powerful drawings and a strong sense of articulation and composition of figurative and non-figurative expressions.
Nagarbashi Barman's print depicts the agony and ecstasy of fishermen. It's evident from the details that the artist is searching for perfection. He brings in subjects like fish, fishing tools and boats.
Kamruzzaman's figures look immobile. His themes and approaches are closely connected to physiological experiments. Well-known painters of silence like Edward Hopper and Johannes Vermeer have seemingly influenced Kamruzzaman's prints.
Titu Deb Nath wants to portray pain, excitement and moments in human life. He has used colours for his expressions, and has tried to denote various states in peoples' lives.
A thoughtful painter, Maksuda Iqbal Nipa gets inspired by nature when deciding on colours. Hence the shades are the most significant aspect of her works. She likes to experiment with colours and applies them directly, piling up thick layers on the canvas. The layers provide a unique texture to her work and that is why her canvas carries a personal hallmark.
Mohammad Wahiduzzaman is one of the gifted artists in the generation. He is the Grand Prize Winner of the 14th edition of Asian Biennale. His works plunge deep into varied social, political and cultural dilemmas. The artist is greatly inspired by Pop Art.
Mohammad Mahmudul Hasan's sculpture shows a man toiling his way to a certain point or goal. The movement, in a circle, is a visible struggle against an unbalanced society.
Nazia Andaleeb Preema's “Conversation with Light”, denotes the power of light. Light is the predominant aspect of her project and the artist has tried to highlight life's strengths and potentials.
Proshanto Karmakar's print, “Waiting for Space-2”, depicts the Bede (gypsy) community's lifestyle.
Promotesh Das Pulak is much concerned about war, political instability and varied social issues. He was one of the Bangladeshi participants at the Venice Biennale in 2011. At the summit, his AK-47 (shoal flowers, wire mesh and steel wire) was quite interesting for its dichotomy that lies between the organic, natural element of the flower in contrast with the manufactured, rigid structure of the AK-47 gun.
The exhibition will continue till April 15.