Showcasing captivating artworks, acclaimed actor-painter Bipasha Hayat's exclusive solo exhibition titled "Stone Time" was inaugurated on Saturday at Gallery Chitrak, Dhanmondi in the capital, demonstrating the recent global catastrophes, crises and ups and downs during the prime of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Inaugurated by Ekushey Padak conferred eminent cartoonist and art maestro Rafiqun Nabi, the opening ceremony of the seventh solo exhibition of Bipasha Hayat was presided over by internationally acclaimed painter and printmaker Shahid Kabir.

Dhaka University Faculty of Fine Arts Dean professor Nisar Hossain joined the inauguration ceremony as the special guest while legendary actor and Bipasha Hayat’s father Abul Hayat, former Bangladesh ambassador to Poland Mahfuzur Rahman and other artists and art admirers also joined the inauguration ceremony.

“For the last two and a half years after moving from Bangladesh to the US and exploring the devastating lockdown and crises during the early days of COVID-19 in a foreign land, I manifested these paintings focusing on everything that was added to my life or happened around me, how the nature around me was, and everything that was going on within my head. It is my great honour that my teachers are here today while I am being able to present you this exhibition, sharing my thoughts through my paintings,” Bipasha said at the event.

Bipasha’s mentor and eminent printmaker Shahid Kabir said, “From my personal experiences and point of view, I believe that travelling helps an artist to grow and explore the artefacts beyond the themes. After going through her works as someone who explored this phenomenon, I feel that Bipasha had that exploration perfectly depicted in her works.”

Inaugurating the exhibition, veteran art maestro Rafiqun Nabi said, “Many of Bipasha’s fans and admirers love her for her excellence in acting and paintings; however, a less-known fact about Bipasha is that when she passed her examination test at the Faculty of Fine Arts, she was the highest-graded examinee and I remember that as the head examiner during that time. Over the years she has prolifically mastered her craft through her passion, and the outcome has been reflected in these works.”

With over 200 artworks, the exhibition featured diversified paintings of Bipasha Hayat including topics such as the “Black Lives Matter” movement after the global George Floyd protests in 2020. Regarding the exhibition, Bipasha expressed her gratitude to ambassador Mahfuzur Rahman for his support and motivation, Gallery Chitrak and curator of the exhibition Opar Zaman, to name a few.

The 15-day exhibition will continue until April 30, from 11 am to 8 pm every day.