The three-day unique art workshop on Cyanotype and Gum Bichromate Techniques ‘Alchemy of Light’ concluded on Sunday at Gallery Cosmos, shedding the spotlight on these two alternative photographic printmaking processes, each with unique characteristics and applications.

Led by acclaimed artist and educator Juton Chandra Roy, Lecturer at the Department of Printmaking, Faculty of Fine Art, Dhaka University, the workshop brought together 10 Bangladeshi artists from diverse backgrounds: Rashed Sukhon, Naznine Akter, Alia Kamal, Farhana Islam, Sheikh Nahid Hasan, Sharmin Rahman Khan, Sumaita Afrin Shupty, Arup Mandal, Shuvra Talukder, and Bristy Pathan.

The concluding day was graced by Cosmos Foundation Chairman, Cosmos Group and Gallery Cosmos Founder and UNB Emeritus Editor Enayetullah Khan; Former Adviser on Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh caretaker government and Cosmos Foundation President Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury; Gallery Cosmos Director Tehmina Enayet; Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD) Director François Grosjean, Vice President of the Cosmos Group and Executive Director of Gallery Cosmos and UNB Nahar Khan, and Dhaka University Faculty of Fine Art Professors Dr Anisuzzaman Anis and Dr Sheikh Mohammad Rokonuzzaman, among others.

'Alchemy of Light': Gallery Cosmos hosts workshop by Juton Chandra Roy

“Since the inception of our Gallery Cosmos and Cosmos Atelier-71, a number of art enthusiasts from home and abroad have joined to learn, practice and showcase their artistic power on a regular basis. We organize multiple unique art events and artistic ventures in a calendar year, and this special workshop on Cyanotype and Gum Bichromate Techniques under the title ‘Alchemy of Light’ by acclaimed artist Juton Chandra Roy have been a priority project for us,” Gallery Cosmos Director Tehmina Enayet said on the occasion.

“Talented artists from diverse background across the nation joined this workshop including prominent artists-art educators such as Professor Anis, Bishwajit Goswami and others; and they all have enthusiastically learned these relatively new artistic methods together in this workshop, and we will showcase the artworks from the workshop in a future exhibition soon,” she added.

While exploring the workshop, Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD) Director François Grosjean praised the initiative, saying it was “very innovative” to organize such a workshop. “From my perspective, it’s particularly commendable as it uses natural colours—creating a dialogue between art and ecology. With this initiative, you are touching something deeply connected to that link. Our imagination in art comes from nature, and it’s important to strengthen that bond,” he told UNB.

Visual artist Sharmin Rahman Khan, one of the participants, said she was “enlightened and delighted” to explore the new techniques during the workshop. Another participant, Sheikh Nahid Hasan, shared that the workshop's mediums helped guide his artistic vision. “Cyanotype and Gum Bichromate techniques are based on two distinct elements—light and darkness—and this experience allowed me to experiment with those contrasting characteristics in my art,” he said.

Expressing heartfelt gratitude to Gallery Cosmos and Cosmos Atelier-71 for organizing this workshop, instructor of the workshop Juton Chandra Roy told UNB: “Throughout these three days, we all have passionately explored the techniques of Cyanotype and Gum Bichromate and made some meaning artworks together. Even though we are closing our three-day workshop today, the artistic exploration and practices will continue, and my cordial gratitude goes to Gallery Cosmos and Cosmos Atelier-71 for hosting us; their support behind art and culture is really commendable.”

A future exhibition with all artworks from this workshop will be showcased in a future exhibition, according to Gallery Cosmos Artistic Director Sourav Chowdhury.