Kakoli's portrayal of human strife and struggle

One of the paintings from Kakoli's Reminiscence series

Her paintings, titled Reminiscence and Nightmare, were among the 24 works on display at a recent exhibition at Zainul Gallery. The men in the paintings were seen as trapped in time, where terror and travails prevail. The condition of women, in particular, was even more deplorable, as they were the helpless victims of acid attack and rape. The shattered and dehumanised beings speak for the endless pain and frustration in our minds.

The raw and loud colours that jar our sensibility and the naïve manner of portrayal of human figures are there to shake us out of our complacency. Kakoli teaches children and the figures and colours have been taken from the raw work of children. The artist feels that there is a lot to learn from child art. Added to the dismal image of our surroundings are some new images of personal joy and satisfaction in which one finds quixotic self-portrayal in the form of collages, swirling with gold and silver. In her present lonely state, she marvels at the camaraderie of some of her old friends, which gives her hope and sustenance.

Kakoli has not given separate names to her individual compositions. She wanted the viewer to have his own perception and come to his own conclusion. In Reminiscence 21 is a scene from a restaurant, where the woman has forgotten about the fish placed before her, and is totally wrapped up in the presence of the man beside her. The shapes of the human forms are stylised and the colours are loud and raw. This is one of her private personal reflections of our everyday incidents around us. In another are two figures, apparently talking to each other. In yet another is a mind-whirling depiction of a madrassa teacher killing his young student, as a revenge for not being able to conceal the homosexual relationship. The story had been flashed in many of the local newspapers, Kakoli informs. In another painting we see the face of a lamenting mother, with the heads of three dead children beside her. "This scene of bereavement is now common in our country as children are being kidnapped or killed in some disasters like the drowning at sea," Kakoli elaborates.

Fabrics and washes of gold come into the delineation of the artist herself, in a mood of celebration and satisfaction. Gum, glitters and printed paper have all gone into the collage. There is the inclusion of dark patches to the left of the composition to depict the fact that nothing can be enjoyed freely, as even in incidents of social celebrations there is a fear of disasters like hidden bombs.

Fahamida Akhter Kakoli has won four awards, and has taken part in 19 group exhibitions. She has participated in eight workshops.