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Essays in water-colour

5 December 2005, 18:00 PM
LIFESTYLE
By Fayza Haq
5 December 2005, 18:00 PM
The prize winners(seated) seen with their teachers
The competition in water-colour, organised by Shako, a local woman artists' group, held recently at Gulshan, was a veritable delight to watch. Kuhu, one of the senior artists of Shako said, "You ask me about Shako. It's not something feminist. For this programme today, I've worked with Rafiqun Nabi and Jamal Ahmed, who are the chief guests today; and who will adjudge the three prize winners in time. Most of the contestants are male students. The artists in Shako include young and more established ones. Thus we're carrying other artists, step by step, and promoting them."

Explaining the raison d'etre of Shako's latest endeavour, Kuhu said, "There is an element of social consciousness in our effort. It is time to give back to society what we have received."

The 16 students began painting at 11.30am and finished around 4 pm. This contest was geared at young artists from the Institute of Fine Arts, Dhaka University. There were three cash prizes. Meanwhile, side by side, the nine participants of Shako conducted a workshop for its members.

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The proceeds of the workshop will go to DHL: Express, which sponsored both the contest and the workshop. Ahsan Parvez, of DHL, dwelling on why the company was sponsoring the two projects, said, "I think that Shako helped the people of Bangladesh, all along, with their charitable work. It has aided acid-survivors, differently-abled artists and other groups. The two programmes are meant to encourage the fine arts students and further unveil the talent in Shako." DHL has several other plans. Says Parvez, "It is quite possible that DHL may sponsor an art gallery for women. A lot of women artists don't get as much encouragement and promotion as men artists."

Having a brief parley with two participants of the contest, Shumon Biswas of the Institute of Fine Arts, Crafts Section, and Afroza, also from the same institute, one realised that the young painters were very promising. Shumon Biswas, asked to comment on his experience of the project, said, " At first, I was a little bewildered with the new scenario and new faces but within a brief spell I felt tranquil. My guide is Nasreen Begum, whose exquisite works I've always admired. I've always sought a competition to display my work. I'm naturally a little nervous because the contest time is limited. Yet, inspired and hopeful, I'm pressing on with my endeavour."

Commenting on her experience Afroza Sultana, also painting ad lib, with excellent speed, dexterity and know-how said, "What is new are the objects of the still-life, I haven't quite experimented with painting banana leaves and two other vegetables that you see in my composition."

One came away content and surfeit with the experience of seeing a fine competition and the workshop.

The prize winners were: Md Ahkamul Haque Tunir, Md Zahir Zahiruddin, and Md Al-Akhir Sarkar of the Institute of Fine Arts, Dhaka University.