What comes to mind when we think of Paris is the Eiffel Tower. With London, it is the Big Ben while Delhi conjures the image of the India Gate in our minds. But what of Dhaka?

It's indeed a grand celebration of the brilliance of Bangladeshi art. Artists of our country are doing great with their multifarious expressions of art -- be it painting, print, sculpture, installation, video or performance art.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday expresses deep shock at the death of eminent sculptor Novera Ahmed, the first modern sculptor of Bangladesh. Novera died at a hospital in Paris, PM's Press Secretary AKM Shameem Chowdhuri said.

Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC), Dhaka brought out an innovative table calendar for the year 2015, of which each month focuses on portraits of a great personality – from politicians, litterateurs, poets, artist, mystic bard, classical musician and religious and social reformers of both Bangladesh and India.

Shiro Sadoshima, a passionate artist and the Japanese ambassador to Bangladesh, paid his rich tribute to our culture, rendering Bangladeshi lives onto his canvases. The self-taught artist's maiden solo exhibition was jointly inaugurated by cultural affairs minister Asaduzzaman Noor and Anjan Chowdhury, chairman of Society for Promotion of Bangladesh Art (SPBA) at Zainul Gallery on March 2.

If anyone wanted to relax and simply be with nature one had only to go to the “Joy of Nature” exhibit at Alliance Francaise de Dhaka (AFD).

Art Bazar, a community of creative youths, held an open exhibition in Dhanmondi on February 28, of photos taken with mobile phones. Square-framed and panorama photos were on display on the walls of Dhanmondi 4/A from 3-9pm, while artists also drew free live caricatures of attending audience, while many played live music. The goal of the group is to establish mobile phone photography as an art form, and thus opening it up to the mass people.

In his recently-concluded weeklong exhibition at Mumbai's busy Jehangir Art Gallery, Maksudul Ahsan showcased about 46 paintings -- mostly in acrylic and oil. Some of the large scale paintings hark back to the Partition of 1947 and its aftermath.

Alpana is a popular folk art form. The word alpana is derived from the Sanskrit “alimpana”, which means 'to plaster' or 'to coat with'. The colour of alpana has an intimate relation with Amar Ekushey. In a recent conversation with The Daily Star, eminent artist Monirul Islam spoke about alpana and its long-standing connection with paintings worldwide.

Brittanto 71 Foundation together with Gallery Chitrak has organised a three day (February 17-19) art exhibition at Gallery Chitrak in Dhanmondi. Cultural affairs minister Asaduzzaman Noor, eminent painter Shahabuddin Ahmed and Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, organising secretary of Bangladesh Awami League, jointly inaugurated the exhibition.

Indian artist Nalini Malani has pushed the frontiers of contemporary art. Known for her outspoken feminism, fascination with mythology and history that find resonance in her work, she is equally hailed as one of the pioneers of newer art forms like installations, video art and shadow play.