Brimming with colours and lines

Viewers looking at the prize winning paintings. PHOTO: STAR

As Elthem Kabir of SPBA put it, "The entrees included young artists ranging from high school students to professional doctors and architects. There was recognition of six works of equal ranking. There was an independent panel of judges, which consisted of Farida Zaman, Naima Haque, Nazli Laila Mansur, Dilara Begum Jolly, Nasreen Begum and Fayza Haq.

"The artists who were successful were Kausar Parvin Dalai from Chittagong (Apon Onubhotee), Reema Sabiha from Dhaka (Mask), Ummoy Salma Shawon from Khulna (Life), Ferdous Ara Islam Dhaka (Loneliness), Kaniz Husna Akbory from Rajshahi (Relation-4) and Fahmida Elahi Borna from Chittagong (Amaar Dhorma). The distinguished guests on the occasion were Aud Lise Norhiem, Norwegian Ambassador, Veena Sikri, Indian High Commissioner, Barbara Richardson, Canadian High Commissioner and Judith Chammas, the Charge D'Affaires, American Embassy."

One of the winning paintings had the picture of a new bride in red, being taken home in a boat to her in-laws. The bridegroom too was bright in blue top and green "lungi". The media is oil on canvas. The river and sky could be seen beyond the boat. This is a traditional picture of a festive mood. Dalia's Apon Onubhotee was a woodcut that presented a holiday by the riverside where young women played at will. This was in black, white and gray, with a touch of blue and yellow.

Borna's Amar Dhormo had dealt with human emotion and had used oil with octane. The theme was secularism. The artist wanted to show that it was goodness in man that was important and not the religious belief, which has come down through family traditions. Salma Shawon's painting depicted the figure of a man and woman in orange and black. The lines were simple and the figures geometrical in their simplicity. Reema Sabiha had worked on handmade paper and had done a collage of photographs that had been painted over. This was a social satire protesting against the lack of freedom of expression for women. Loneliness had been done by a doctor, Firdous Ara, and the large amount of gray that had been used expressed her emotions. The green frame brought in an element of hope.

Other paintings too captured one's fancy like Rebecca Sultana Molly's delineation of a woman set in a background of flowers was also delightful. Nahid Niazi Nipu had used wood instead of canvas, and had worked on her subject by painting over it, burning it, making holes through it, etc. Farzana Ahmed Shanta had brought in flowers and leaves in the manner that Nasreen Begum does.

It was heartening to see so many young women artists doing original work.