A print exhibition titled Awakening has created a path to unite five printmakers—Rokeya Sultana, Ahmed Nazir, Rafi Haq, Rashid Amin and Mustafa Zaman, who had formed a group called The Dhaka Printmakers roughly 21 years ago.
The 12-day exhibition displaying 45 prints is currently being held at
Bengal Shilpalaya Gallery in Dhanmondi.
Noted printmaker Rokeya Sultana has displayed her art series titled Fata Morgana. Done by unique pressure printmaking technique, the artworks depict various designs and shapes to create optical illusions expressing the beauty of nature.
Predominantly created using red and orange colours, Fata Morgana-5 reveals a few circles and a crisscross of brown strokes projecting an impression of disorderliness. However, there is a kind of intangible charm into the seemingly disorderliness of the artwork.
A son’s tribute to his beloved father has been depicted in Digital Print series titled Journey of a Great Master by Ahmed Nazir. The artist has realistically portrayed the face of his late father Shafiuddin Ahmed, the pioneering printmaker, in black and white.
Rafi Huq has done experiments through use of oil colour and not conventional ink for his artwork series titled Journal of Empty World. Diverse patterns, blurry flower motifs enable the first painting of the series to grab instant attention of the spectators.
In Search of Infinity is a series of etching prints by Rashid Amin. A few dark plants have been highlights against a light brown backdrop in the sixth painting of the series.
Mustafa Zaman connects the similarities between a four-footed animal and a human figure in his digital print series titled Parallel Lives into Oblivion. Each of the artwork of the series reveals the image of an animal intertwined with an outline of a human body against a background in a light tone. ‘I am still trying to deduce the meaning of the art I have created,’ said a musing Mustafa Zaman regarding his work.
One of the artists Rafi Haq informed New Age that they formed The Dhaka Printmakers in 1992 and launched three exhibitions by the group within a very short period of time. However, for different reasons, there has been little activity over the past two decades. ‘After about 20 years, we are back with Awakening, and we have vowed never to lose touch again,’ Haq professed in a hopeful voice.
Inaugurated today, the exhibition will remain open for all from 12:00 to 1:00 pm everyday till June 19.
-With New Age input
