Bridging friendship

An art work by Sheikh Afzal

Matsushiro Horiguchi, the Japanese ambassador, said that the occasion was a significant one in the history of cultural exchange between the two countries, as it will bring together many outstanding artists of Bangladesh and Japan. He said that the personal friendship of Rabindranath Tagore, around 100 years ago, with Tenshin Okakura, a Japanese fine arts scholar, and Taikan Yokoma amazingly institutionalised the process of cultural exchange and profoundly influenced fine arts of Japan and Bangladesh. The cultural exchanges between the two countries gathered momentum with the independence of Bangladesh, he added. He also said that it was heartening to note that a large number of artists in Bangladesh had done their higher studies in Japan.

Toshiyuki Shiroki, one of the prominent Japanese teachers, had high praises for the artists who studied in Japan. This included Mohammed Kibria, Mahmudul Haque, Sheikh Afzal, Jamal Ahmed, and Mostafizul Haque. He said that the two countries had been working toward the joint exhibition for quite some time. He added that he hoped that there would be a similar exhibition in Japan.

The participating artists from Japan included Toshiyuki Shiroki, Ikuo Niida, Shoutarou Nakayama, Toshio Sakai, Reiko Kodama, Miwako Tomioka, Motohiro Kozawa, Shin-ichi Asada, Kouichi Watanabe and Taichi Yonaha.

The Bangladeshi artists included Mohammed Kibria, Syed Jahangir, Rafiqun Nabi, Mahmudul Haque, Abul Barq Alvi, Jamal Ahmed, Mostafizul Haque, Mohammad Eunus, Ahmed Shamsuddoha and Sheikh Afzal.

Rafiqun Nabi's "Gokul", is a wood cut with quaintly placed trees and birds. The landscape is seen as green, beige and burnt sienna rectangles with highlights of off white. Mahmudul Haque's "Painting-1" is an abstract mass of gray, white and purple set against a backdrop of orange and beige. Jamal Ahmed's "Reflection of Bangla" is a delightful water colour on paper. It shows a boy astride a buffalo, wading through the water. Sheikh Afzal's "Composition", an oil on canvas has a bewildered girl surrounded by floating objects. "Reflection" an oil on canvas by Ahmed Shamsuddoha, has flowers and birds in scintillating blues and greens. Mohammed Eunus's "Image 30" is an overwhelming creation in orange, white and blue splashes and lines.

Dancing frogs in a garden with white blossoms are brought in Miwako Tomioka's "Happiness of spring" This is an acrylic on canvas. Shotaro Nakayama's "Infinity", aluminum on board brings in wings and limbs of a flying bird. Variations of golden hues, touched with brown and gray are seen in Taichi Yonaha's "The passage of shine". Nature in pristine white is seen in the simple presentation of a blossom with its leaves in Koichi Watanabe's mixed media "Veronica flowers of Japan."

The exhibition is a delight indeed as it brings together the cream of artists in two friendly countries.