Melange in wood, metal and fabric

Buddhadev on wood by Sumana Haq Mitu

"It's the first time that the works by students are being displayed in a private gallery," said art critique Rabiul Husain.

"At last, crafts is coming to the forefront," said Abdus Sattar, Director of the Institute of Fine Arts. Within a few years of the establishment of the department in 1983, it has been flooded with eager and enterprising students, trained under the guidance and constant encouragement of teachers like Abdus Shakoor.

"Due to lack of teachers and funds to buy equipment and machines, the Department took some time to come into actual existence even though efforts to set it up were there since the days of Zainul Abedin," said Shakoor, the well-known folk art painter and the head of the Crafts Department. It began with Janabul Islam as the head, with a degree course. The five teachers, including Abdus Shakoor, Farouq Ahmed, Abdul Jabbar, Shafiul Kabir Chandan and Nazib Mohammed are struggling hard to make the department a success.

Abdus Shakoor's Window presents a square of vermilion framed by strips of black wood in with red motifs of triangles, circles, lines, stripes and crosses. They are tied together with coloured ropes. At times five pieces of wood are placed one on top of another. In his Tradition there are shots of green and purple designed with black checks with red dots in the centre. Faces of women are painted while straw forms the trailing tresses.

Zunabul Islam's mixed media projects a jungle scene with butterflies and birds in yellow and gray, with dark brushes, leaves, branches and trunks of trees at the back. In his batik there are two elephants with bright "howdahs"; the elephants are black and painted with yellow, red and blue motifs. Motifs of plants in semi-circles and paisley patterns decorate the lower portion of the composition.

Farouque Ahmed has brought in a royal couple in metal and placed on burnt red and copper coloured wood. The figures' features, bodies and ornaments are minimised. Holes are bored into the wood and large dots add to them a mystery in the composition. Farouque's birds are of burnt wood with the lower section of the composition is pale. The details of the beaks, tails depict geometrical forms of dots and lines.

Suchento Kumar's buffalo is made in bronze, while another composition of his has human faces in minimised forms. Acid and heat have been applied to get a brownish pinkish glaze while the eyes are piercing black. Shumana Haq's elephant has a face with the ears fanning out and the tusks thrust forward.

Embroidery and tapestry items on display brings in landscapes complete with skies, rivers, boats and trees, masks and presentations of demons and goddesses, including portraits of Kali and Krishna.

Some stoneware and wood carving recreate the classical pieces which would do well in interior décor of homes and offices.