Madiha Athar Khan

Graduating and navigating the start of your career can be daunting even under normal circumstances. The Covid-19 pandemic added more challenging aspects to this experience. The mental toll of taking on a job for the first time amidst a pandemic has weighed down on many young individuals.

Watching television is an enjoyable way of winding down after a long day, and experiencing a range of emotions not on offer to us in our mundane lives.

While 2020 will be remembered for how difficult it was for everyone, there are some fortunate people who utilised the extra time at home effectively. Shoilee Islam,

Banglay Boli is a collaborative project by Humairah Shams, Omiya Hassan and maliha mohsin. “We have been friends for years and have worked together on several collaborative art and storytelling projects,” says maliha, who spells her name in small letters.

Movie theatres across the country are starting to open their doors to the public. The idea of sitting in a cramped, closed space for around two hours, elbow-to-elbow with strangers seems like a nauseatingly concerning prospect amidst a pandemic.

Golpo Kantha, a re-imagination of the kantha with stories of care and community, is a collaborative art exhibition by Maliha Mohsin and Humayra Kabir.

A painting exhibition is underway at International School, Dhaka (ISD), showcasing artworks created by their students. The exhibition will run till February 16, and is open to the ISD community only.

Rubina Akhter’s month-long solo art exhibition, Mystery & Light, is underway at Radius Centre, Bay’s Galleria, Gulshan.

For the past few years, the Art Fest, alternatively known as Charukola Utshab, has been organised at a location outside Dhaka,

Whiny Women, a group art exhibition that aimed to create a space for women’s expressions, was held on January 4 and 5 at Dhaka Gallery, Banani.

Ata Mohammad Adnan’s solo photography exhibition, Beyond the Borders, was held at O’Play recently.

Begum Restaurant & Gallery is hosting a month long exhibition, titled Fana Fillah by artist Ayreen Khan, at its premises. The exhibition was inaugurated recently by a musical performance that featured Arnob, among others.

Nasreen Sultana, the founder of Project Tiktaalik, is a cartoonist and an educationalist. She began her journey in the arts as an illustrator for the renowned magazine, Unmad, while she was a student at University of Dhaka (DU).

A group art exhibition, Praccher Prachin Dhara/ The Ancient Lineage of the East, opened at Gallery Cosmos, recently.

Artist Mohammad Mohiuddin Ahamed graduated with a BFA in painting and drawing from National University and an MFA in painting from University of Alternative Development. Impressions of Surroundings -5, his ninth solo exhibition, is currently taking place at Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD). Alongside being a professional artist, he is a school teacher. He is also passionate about music and writing.

Md Rafiqul Islam’s second solo print exhibition, Transformation, opened recently at La Galerie, Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD).

A group exhibition titled, Jolokabbo 2 - Musings in Watercolour, opened on Wednesday at Edge Gallery in Dhaka. 26 artists are participating in the event, which features watercolour paintings.

An event titled, ‘Poetry for Peace” was organised jointly by World Poetry Festival and Kathak, a Bangladeshi Poetry Initiative, recently. It was held at Bishwo Shahitto Kendro. The general theme of the event was presenting a united stand against the recurring acts of violence across the globe. The event saw 35 Bangladeshi poets and two Mexican poets come together and perform their pieces.

An art talk, featuring fine art photographer and cameraman Rakib Ahmed was held at 3rd Space in Dhanmondi, recently. In the age of digital manipulations, Ahmed continues to use the age-old practice of Wet Collodion in his work to produce images. Wet Collodion is an early photography technique that involves the use of chemicals, solutions and coating a glass plate with the mixture to develop photographs quickly. The event was hosted by Arafat Ahmed Ali.

An exhibition titled, Reverie, concluded at Drik Gallery on August 20. The exhibition solely focused on empowering young artists and opening doors to those who would typically not get the platforms to showcase their work.