Nostalgic watercolours that cull our cultural roots
"The artists have dealt with nature, still life, landscape, figures of beauteous women and boats among others. These subjects are all taken from Bangladeshi villages. They bring images such as cane fences, thatched and mud houses; the artists have often played with light and shadow. Just as the British painter Doily preserved the culture of Dhaka in his pen sketches (during the British Raj) these four artists have tried to capture our rural roots -- for all posterity -- in their works."
The exhibits, Muniruzzaman said, were remarkable for their aestheticism. The dock scenes by Shamsul Arafin Mithu, he said, brought in the Rivers Krittankhola and Buriganga in an idyllic manner; Barisal town has been included in one of the compositions. The artists had stopped their abstract and semi-abstract work, and continued in the realistic stream. This may be seen as a renaissance of realism. There has been a gap between the viewers and the artists in the art scene, Muniruzaman pointed out. This is made up by realism: although some feel there is not much thought behind realistic art. The success is ushered in by the fact that the run of the mill viewer can easily comprehend the subject.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Fokrul Alam Tofa added that the artists had done works on a small scale, as they felt that this would fit in with the crammed existence in the Dhaka metropolis. They also wanted the price of paintings to fit the pocket of the average buyer. As none of the artists were freelancers, they had to take time out from their professional work, as artists of a Bengal Foundation project of rugs.
Shamsul Arafin Mithu explained each watercolour in depth. " What is unique about this play is that the paintings reflect our urban existence: these are our efforts to reflect our childhood, now lost in the rat race of Dhaka existence. Each piece is worth viewing and taking pleasure in. There is an idyllic undercurrent in every painting."