United News of Bangladesh

Cosmos Art Echo, the artist talk initiative of Gallery Cosmos and Cosmos Atelier71, held its 10th session titled “The Story of an Angry Man Talking to a Wall” on Friday afternoon with internationally renowned Bangladeshi artist Mahbubur Rahman as the guest speaker. The session was held from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at Cosmos Atelier71 Studio at Cosmos Centre in Malibagh, Dhaka. Mahbubur Rahman, widely recognised for his multidisciplinary practice, conceptual depth and contribution to contemporary art discourse in Bangladesh, spoke extensively about his artistic journey, experimentation with different mediums, creative philosophy and the challenges of contemporary art practice. Reflecting on his early years at the Faculty of Fine Arts, he said although many teachers and senior artists encouraged him to pursue sculpture, he was always deeply fascinated by painting. He said sculpture appeared to him as more studio-oriented, while painting offered greater possibilities for interaction with people, exploration and movement. The artist recalled how Asian Art Biennale exhibitions played a transformative role during his student years, describing them as “eye-opening” experiences that exposed him to global artistic languages and visual cultures. He said Dhaka city itself functions like a “visual book” for him, where streets, neighbourhoods, people and professions continuously inspire his artistic imagination and storytelling. Mahbubur Rahman said he often views urban spaces like Old Dhaka as cinematic sequences filled with narratives, textures and human interactions that later become reflected in his works. Discussing artistic creativity, he spoke about Renaissance masters such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, saying artists possess immense imaginative capacity capable of transcending boundaries between painting, sculpture, architecture and other forms. He described the artistic process as similar to scanning and printing reality through the mind and hand, emphasising that artists should not remain trapped within comfort zones. The artist also reflected on competition within society and the art world, saying artists often struggle due to limited platforms, lack of institutional support and highly competitive environments. He shared memories of receiving the Asian Art Young Award but said he did not even attend the award ceremony, explaining that recognition itself was never his primary motivation. Mahbubur Rahman further discussed his long engagement with folk traditions, rickshaw painting, collaborations with traditional painters from Nepal and Mithila artists, alongside his experimentation with figurative forms, textures and surface treatments in painting.

The 6th edition of Cosmos Art Echo, an art talk event of Cosmos Atelier71, is set to be held on Thursday evening. Eminent Artist Kanak Chanpa Chakma will join the live event with the topic ‘Journey Through Roots' at 7 pm. Born and raised in the beautiful hill tracts of Rangamati, Kanak Chanpa Chakma is a visual artist based in Dhaka. She mainly works with acrylic, oil and charcoal on canvas, portraying the struggling lives of the indigenous community of Bangladesh and the endless sufferings of women. Kanak Chanpa has received numerous national and international awards for her works, including Best Woman Artist of the XXI Century, Florida, USA (2001), Best Painting National Award, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (2002) and Olympic Fine Arts Gold Medal, Beijing, China (2008). She has devoted much of her life rescuing animals, and is engaged in organisations focused on animal welfare, women and deprived communities in Bangladesh.

Four modern art maestros from Bangladesh - Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin, Quamrul Hassan, SM Sultan and Safiuddin Ahmed - have elevated the genre to new levels, each through the body of work they left behind during their lifetimes and the audience of modern art needs  more image literacy to fully comprehend the work of the legends, said renowned Bangladeshi art critic Moinuddin Khaled at the 5th edition of Cosmos Art Echo on Wednesday.

The 5th edition of Cosmos Art Echo,  an art talk programme organized by Cosmos Atelier71, will be held on Wednesday.

The 5th Cosmos Art Echo, a monthly talk-show of Cosmos-Atelier71 printmaking studio, will be held at the studio at Cosmos Centre in the city’s Malibagh area on Saturday.