To highlight the art of printmaking, Cosmos Atelier 71’s exclusive printmaking workshop titled “Impression of Rokeya's” by eminent art maestro Professor Rokeya Sultana came to an end on Saturday with a live printmaking session and daylong exhibition at the Garden Gallery, Baridhara in the capital.

The exclusive intaglio process, softground and stencil workshop by Professor Rokeya Sultana was conducted with 10 young and prominent Bangladeshi artists from home and beyond — Asmita Alam Shammy, Roosevelt Benjamin, Chhobi Zulfiqar, Rifat Jahan Kanta, Farzana Rahman Bobby, Mohammad Rezwanur Rahman, Bacchu Miah Arif, Kamruzzoha, SM Ehsan and Indian artist Sukla Poddar.

Inaugurated on January 23 at the Cosmos Atelier 71 in Malibagh, the workshop also featured four guest artists — renowned painter Afrozaa Jamil Konka, eminent photojournalist-artist Nasir Ali Mamun, veteran artist and freedom fighter Biren Shome and journalist-artist Zahangir Alom — alongside participating artists Sam Jamil Julian, Rumessa Mailloux and Sourav Chowdhury.

On Saturday, the workshop wrapped up with live printmaking sessions for visitors and art enthusiasts, an exclusive exhibition and live musical performances by the artists at the picturesque setting of the gallery.

Art maestro and workshop conductor Professor Rokeya Sultana and Cosmos Atelier 71-Gallery Cosmos Director Tehmina Enayet handed over the certificates to the participating artists at the event.

“Gallery Cosmos and Cosmos Atelier 71 are committed to promoting the artistic brilliance of Bangladeshi artists, and we are proud and excited to host this exclusive printmaking workshop, live printmaking session and exhibition for the art admirers at our Garden Gallery. All of these brilliant artists mesmerized us through their artworks and altogether, this was a festive and fruitful printmaking workshop because of everyone’s cordial and dedicated participation,” Tehmina Enayet said at the event.

Lauding the initiative, Rokeya Sultana said, “Artists can truly explore and showcase their full potential when they get cordial and meaningful patrons, and Gallery Cosmos has been an understanding benefactor and advocate for artists at home and beyond. This workshop was a shared vision of mine and Gallery Cosmos Director Tehmina Enayet, its Artistic Director Sourav Chowdhury and all of our participating artists — and we are glad to celebrate this togetherness for printmaking.

“Throughout the entire workshop, Tehmina Enayet and the entire Cosmos Atelier 71 team joined us providing the utmost hospitality and it was our immense pleasure that our beloved Enayet bhai (Cosmos Foundation Chairman and UNB Editor-in-Chief Enayetullah Khan) also joined us during the workshop,” she added.

“The art of printmaking is exciting and enthralling which gives us the opportunity to create multiple quality pieces of any artwork, and we wanted to promote this unique technique among the general audiences. For our art admirers, we brought this live printmaking session so that we can share the joy with them that we regularly explore through our works,” Sultana said regarding the live printmaking session at the event.

Guest artist and freedom fighter Biren Shome, one of the founding associates behind the Cosmos Atelier 71, lauded the initiative saying, “Gallery Cosmos and the Atelier 71 have always been dedicated to promoting our arts and culture, and this exclusive printmaking workshop by art maestro Rokeya Sultana and this live session-exhibition are a testament to that.”

After the certificate-presenting session, artist-journalist Zahangir Alom, prominent painter Afrozaa Jamil Konka and other participating artists enthralled the audiences with music and poetry.

The workshop continued from January 23-26 at the Cosmos Atelier 71.