Faces behind the scene

'Penta' alludes possibilities of peace and will captivate many

Kityama Yoshi , participating for the second time, shows three-dimensional works made of bamboo in a style that is very Japanese and very oriental. Having achieved success as a contemporary artist, Kityama removed himself from art-for-art's sake creativity. The work he shows in the exhibition is more than a series of new, freshly completed drawings. His style drawing in detail with ink on Japanese paper (washi) the images he has created in clay has achieved a kind of perfection. "Violene, Strip, and Dominate" bring in a pair of male and female images on them of violence and desire to dominate express human impulses. They show us that neither the perpetrator nor victim is a good role.

In Domoto Yuumi's double-faced picture of the tulip, we see a flower whose petals are very heavy. The petals hang in a tenuous balance, symbolizing love and sorrow. Domoto shows us the importance of accepting events quietly and calmly. She shows for us the simple fact that the possibility of revolutionary change exists only when people accept the real problems facing them instead of trying to shut them away.

"I've been working as an artist for several years," says Ashmina Ranjit from Nepal. I began as a painter and now I'm moving into new forms such as installations with video, prints. Here in Dhaka, I've done an installation titled 'Love, compassion and peace'. There are 2,500 bottled Buddhas placed in a spiral form and as the visitors come, they can pick one and go away with it. The images are screen printed inside the bottle." Touching on Nepalese art, Ashmina said that contemporary art brings in experimentation by young artists although traditional art is still there. Giving her opinion of Bangladeshi art, she said that judging by the work that she has seen in Nepal such as that of Mahboob, Lipi and Mili, she felt that their work is vibrant and energetic.

Kha Kit from Singapore said that the works of the Singaporean artists were different from many as theirs is a city state and the works reflected urban life on large and the artists brought in elements that one saw in a city. Thus Vincent Leaw's painting had flowers flying out of a waste paper basket along with faces and hands of humans. It was in bright red, yellow , blue and black and appeared quite surrealistic. Shing brought in paintings of her installations, depicting a chair-like construction and another, which looked like a table from which fish-like creatures appeared to be pouring out. The gray table had some nails bent on it. Shu Fang had brought in wrappings of sweets, lollypops, toffees and chocolates in the composition. Kha Kit had a communication structure, like some satellite painted gray and blue. Giving his opinion of Bangladeshi paintings Kha Kit said, "I think they are strong in terms of traditional skills and depicts and colourful and open culture of Bangladesh. By having such an exhibition such as the Biennale it will expand the views of the local artists. "

Simin Keremmti, from Tehran, Iran, said, " My work is a video installation about a well and I show the upper portion and lower portion of this well. The message is that someone has fallen into a deep well and needs help. This is fixed in a small room as I wanted the audience to feel the darkness of the well and the helplessness and bitterness of being lonely and lost." Giving her impression of Bangladeshi art, Simin said that this was her first time in Bangladesh and she hoped to meet the local artists during the Biennale.With her was Mahmoud Bakshi who had cypress trees made from metal sheets and mounted on a pond of mirror that symbolised water. This visualised a verse in the Quran that promises a paradise with sky high trees and rivers. Her other colleague from Iran, Jamshed Hagigat Shenas, had painted on wood, bringing in mythical images with modern ones that appeared like wooden puppets. Some have detailed stylised strokes in them while some had just been sketched in bringing in the epic of Sohrab and Rustam. Stars, moons, paisley patterns, flowers and other items from everyday life were included in the composition in blue, black and beige.

Ali Akai, a curator from Turkey who was a member of the jury for the Biennale, giving his impression of Dhaka, said that he was totally overwhelmed by the traffic motor cars and rickshaws. He found the clothes colourful while the food was like the spicy food found in India. He had a glance at some of the works so far and had to see more to pass any judgement.