Artist Moni Majhi’s solo exhibition ‘Non-duality (Adwaita)’, exploring the interconnectedness of human life, nature and cultural traditions shaped by the riverine landscape of the Sundarbans, was inaugurated at La Galerie of Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD) on Friday.

Rooted in the ecological and cultural landscape of the Sundarbans, the exhibition draws inspiration from the region’s rivers, forests, tides, saline waters, soil, wildlife, myths and folk beliefs, reflecting a worldview based on coexistence, shared memory and interconnectedness.

Through the concept of Adwaita, the artist moves beyond religious doctrines to explore a cultural philosophy in which distinctions between beliefs, identities and forms of life remain fluid.

At the heart of the exhibition is the shared cultural imagination of different religious and spiritual traditions. Bon Durga and Bonbibi are perceived as manifestations of the same Mother, while Paban Thakur and Paban Pir belong to a common realm of folk beliefs.

These traditions reflect a way of life in which respect, hospitality and coexistence shape relationships among people, communities and the natural world.

The exhibition also highlights the symbolic significance of everyday cultural practices. The 'piri', a low wooden stool traditionally offered to guests as a gesture of respect, represents hospitality and belonging. Similarly, folk practices of offering

'sinni' and 'payesh' to natural forces reflect reverence, vulnerability and an acknowledgement of humanity’s dependence on the natural world.

However, the interconnected existence of people and nature is increasingly under threat from struggles for power, the control of natural resources, development pressures and the climate crisis.

Rivers are changing course, soil is becoming increasingly saline, wildlife habitats are disappearing, while communities face the erosion of their memories, languages and cultural identities.

Against this backdrop, ‘Non-duality’ introduces the evocative idea that people have become “refugees of the green," according to AFD.

The notion of displacement extends beyond human communities to include rivers, seeds, trees, animals and other living beings whose habitats and ways of life are being altered or destroyed.

The exhibition invites visitors to consider ecological loss not as a distant environmental concern, but as a shared condition threatening the very foundations of existence.

'Non-duality' will remain open to visitors until November 10, daily from 3 to 9 pm.