United News of Bangladesh

A group art exhibition titled “Where the Spirit Meets the Bone” will be open to the public from April 25 to May 16 at the Satori Academy of Arts in Banani, Dhaka. Organised as part of the British Council’s Art Exchange: Moving Image programme, the exhibition is curated by Kehkasha Sabah and features works by both local and international artists. The exhibition will be inaugurated on April 25 at 4:30 pm by eminent Bangladeshi artists Dhali Al Mamun and Dilara Begum Jolly, alongside Stephen Forbes, Country Director, British Council Bangladesh. The first chapter of the exhibition, scheduled from April 25 to May 7, explores sensory ecologies through social, emotional, and cultural fractures such as erasure, trauma, and loss, while emphasising care as a healing process. It includes work by seven Bangladeshi artists — Naeem Mohaiemen, Reetu Sattar, Sharad Das, Shohrab Jahan, Yasmin Jahan Nupur, Zihan Karim, and Sounak Das (Bangladesh/The Netherlands) — and four international artists — Afrah Shafiq (India), Ceal Floyer (UK), Hetain Patel (UK), and Hong-Kai Wang (Taiwan). Selected artworks have been loaned from the British Council Collection. The exhibition also features contributions by four Bangladeshi art students. Goethe-Institut celebrates return to historic Dhanmondi address  The second chapter, running from May 9-16, will showcase the outcomes of experimental workshops facilitated by artist-educators Shohrab Jahan and Zihan Karim. Focusing on moving images in both pedagogy and artistic practice, this segment will present a range of works including moving images, sound installations, and interactive pieces. Workshop participants include Abid Hassan, Arshadul Hoque, Naznin Ahmed, and Sadia Afroz — all from Bangladesh. “Where The Spirit Meets the Bone is a speculative project, evoking our somatic senses and their profound relation with care, necessary in the often-indescribable human terrain where vulnerability converges. The title also comes from Miller Williams’ poem ‘Compassion’, a reminder to see human frailty with empathy,” writes curator Kehkasha Sabah. To mark the exhibition’s inauguration, Stephen Forbes, Country Director Bangladesh, British Council, stated: “The British Council is committed to assisting talented artists through various UK-Bangladesh initiatives. We are delighted to be supporting Kehkasha Sabah, and her exhibition through ‘Art Exchange: Moving Image’." "This immersive and thought-provoking exhibition, organised as part of a curatorial fellowship, not only showcases Kehkasha Sabah’s artistic dedication to societal themes but also enriches the cultural tapestry shared between the UK and Bangladesh. I warmly invite not only art enthusiasts but everyone to experience this remarkable exhibition," Stephen Forbes stated. More details of this exhibition are available at https://kehkasha.name/index.php.

To celebrate the 51st Victory Day of Bangladesh, 55 Bangladeshi and 20 international artists will participate in a special group art exhibition at Dubai International Art Center (DIAC) in the UAE from December 12 to 21. The 10-day art exhibition, "Bijoy" is organised by Funun Arts of the UAE and Mahfuz Canvas of Bangladesh. The participating self-taught artists will showcase their work, depicting that art is beyond borders, according to the organisers. Read: ‘Evolution’: Abdullah Al Bashir’s second solo exhibition begins at AFD The Consul General of Bangladesh in Dubai and the Northern Emirates BM Jamal Hossain and Emirati entrepreneur and Chairman of Al Zarooni Foundation Suhail Mohd Al Zarooni, a renowned Emirati collector and Guinness Book World Record holder, will inaugurate the art event. PowerPac, a concern of Sikder Group, is the title sponsor of the exhibition. "We are proud to sponsor this special tribute exhibition to the Victory of Bangladesh, with a specific focus on encouraging artists to improve their creations by giving them a global platform and encouraging them to honour the cultures of Bangladesh and history through their artworks," according to PowerPac. Read: Photo exhibition by Mongol Deep Foundation begins in city Mahfuzur Rahman, the founder of Mahfuz Canvas, said this endeavour is their greatest international achievement yet, and this is the largest overseas self-taught Bangladeshi artists' art exhibition to date. Shiba Khan and Farah Khan, founders of Funun Arts, one of the most vibrant art platforms in the UAE, said they aim to represent art and bring talents to light. "Artists are also given complete freedom to present themselves in their ways."

A special 3-day visual art show titled 'STIGMATIZED DAY' began at  Nandan Mancha of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) on Sunday, commemorating the August 21st grenade attack massacre. Fine Arts department of BSA organized the event with the support of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. Curated by artist Abhijit Chowdhury and co-curated by Sujon Mahahbub and Shubhra Talukder, the performance art programme is showcasing the graphic representation of the brutal Dhaka grenade attack which took place at an anti-terrorism rally organised by the Bangladesh Awami League on Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital on August 21st, 2004. Read:'BRAVEHEART’: Gallery Cosmos pays rich artistic tribute to Bangabandhu

The Goethe-Institut Bangladesh and Drik Picture Library inaugurated an international travelling exhibition at the Drik Gallery in Dhaka's Panthapath Friday to showcase the violence of gender constructions, and patriarchal forms of aggression on more vulnerable bodies. Curated by Vidisha Fadescha, "Let no one mistake us for the fruit of violence" is part of the Goethe-Institut's ongoing M3: Man, Male and Masculinity regional Project which includes Bangladesh and five other institutes in India. Read BSA commemorates August 21 massacre with visual art show

Mahfuz Canvas, a platform for the underprivileged self-taught Bangladeshi artists, is gearing up to host a special overseas exhibition that will offer contemporary painters from this country an opportunity to showcase their artworks in Dubai. The first edition of this exhibition, titled ‘Annual Student Art Show,’ in collaboration with the UAE's largest art community, the Funun Arts Group, is scheduled to take place in the last week of October. This event will showcase numerous artworks based on the theme of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to the organisers. Read 'Rhythmic Abstraction' begins at Alliance Francaise de Dhaka Mahfuz Canvas was founded by internationally acclaimed Bangladeshi artist Mahfuzur Rahman. According to the Funun Arts Group, the organisers are anticipating the participation of students from across the world. They expect to showcase 400 paintings at the event, at least 25 of which will be from Bangladeshi artists. By visiting www.mahfuz.art, Bangladeshi artists can easily register for this event till August 31. Participation for Bangladeshi artists will be funded by Mahfuz Canvas. Read:'BRAVEHEART’: Gallery Cosmos pays rich artistic tribute to Bangabandhu

Marking the National Mourning Day 2022, Gallery Cosmos is going to organize an exclusive group art, photography and sculpture exhibition on Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman titled 'BRAVEHEART' at Cosmos Centre in the capital on Friday. Mofidul Hoque, founding trustee of the Liberation War Museum, will virtually inaugurate the exhibition as the chief guest, while eminent artists and freedom fighters Rafiqun Nabi, Biren Shome and internationally renowned artist Shahabuddin Ahmed will join the inauguration ceremony as the special guests. Supported by the Cosmos Foundation, the exhibition's inauguration ceremony will also be joined by Tehmina Enayet, Director of Gallery Cosmos and Masud Jamil Khan, Deputy Managing Director of Cosmos Group. Read: Curtain rises on Shilpo Bangla Art Exhibition UNB and Dhaka Courier will be its media and knowledge partners respectively. Prior to the inauguration of the exhibition, a vibrant team of 12 child artists and future master painters will participate in an exclusive group art camp at the exhibition venue and showcase their heartfelt tribute to the Father of the Nation. The exhibition will be showcasing artworks of several prominent artists including Shahabuddin Ahmed, Biren Shome, Alakesh Ghosh, Nasir Ali Mamun, Afrozaa Jamil Konka, Bashkor Rasha, Shahajahan Ahmed Bikash, Azmeer Hossain, Bishwajit Goswami, Abu Kalam Shamsuddin, Devdas Malakar, Dilip Karmakar, Sourav Chowdhury, Abdullah Al Bashir, Iqbal Bahar Chy, Maneek Bonik, Kamruzzoha, Azmol Hossain, Mohammed Fakhrul Islam Mazumder Shakil and Md Rafiqul Islam. Read “The Passion of Drawing-2” by Gallery Cosmos: A daylong tribute to drawing Visitors can explore the exhibition 'BRAVEHEART' at Gallery Cosmos in the Cosmos Centre, Malibagh in the capital till August 31.

An international art exhibition in memory of  world-famous Bangladeshi artist,  the late SM Sultan, was held at Mithila Yain Art Gallery in central Kathmandu, Nepal Friday. Sujata Koirala MP, former deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Nepal, inaugurated the exhibition.

The two-day “World Peace Conference-2021” has come to an end with an art exhibition and Pitha Utsab, giving the participants both from home and abroad an opportunity to taste a variety of pitha (cake) before heading home. Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury inaugurated the art exhibition and “Pitha Utsab” by cutting a ribbon at the Foreign Service Academy on Sunday evening. Read: Dhaka Declaration: Democracy, good governance, rule of law critical for peace, stability Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, leaders of the Foreign Office Spouses’ Association (FOSA), including its chief patron Selina Momen (wife of Dr Momen) and patron Ayesha Akhtar, wife of State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, were, among others, present.

Depicting the struggles, sorrows, and lifestyles of the fishing community, shipbuilders, and boatmen in the coastal area of Bangladesh, a solo art exhibition of international artist Mong Mong Sho titled "Songs of Fishermen" is currently ongoing at the EMK Center, Dhanmondi in the capital. The exhibition was inaugurated on September 30, marking the 9th founding anniversary of the EMK Center. Joined by Alak Roy, Professor of the Department of Fine Arts at the University of Chittagong, eminent artist Kanak Chanpa Chakma, and Bishwajit Goswami, Assistant Professor at the Drawing and Painting Department of the Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University, the inaugural ceremony lauded Mong Mong Sho's use of vivid colours in his thought-provoking artistic narratives. Read: Rokeya's art exhibition opens at Indian Cultural Centre

The ongoing 24th edition of the National Art Exhibition at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA)’s National Art Gallery has been extended due to audience demand and will now conclude on September 25. The event was opened to in-person audiences on September 1 as the first major public exhibition of BSA, since it shut its doors in April amid the second wave of COVID-19. This year’s exhibition created history as the first-ever virtual edition inaugurated on June 29 at its website www.shilpakala.gov.bd and its official YouTube channel till July 31, due to the havoc of COVID-19 in the country. Known as one of the most celebrated art exhibitions of the country and one of the flagship artistic ventures of BSA since 1975, the event was virtually inaugurated by State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid. A total of 157 paintings, 47 sculptures, 53 prints, 17 photographs, 18 installations, 10 oriental artworks, 20 crafts, 7 new media works, 5 graphics works, and 7 potteries are on display, alongside 6 special performance art shows. Of the over 1,000 artworks submitted by a total of 786 artists, the 347 artworks of different mediums and genres by 323 artists are being showcased at this year’s exhibition.