finearts of bangladesh

To Make Meanings Real: A Conversation with Mark di Suvero

Understanding Biren 

During the five decades of his career, artist Biren Shome has worked on numerous themes while manipulating various mediums to his artistic advantage.

 Shahabuddin Ahmed’s solo art exhibition at Saju Art Gallery stands out for its featured mediums. The exhibition mainly includes drawings and prints. Ink has been predominately used for the drawings. A number of lithographs are on display at the exhibition. For litho, the artist has used metal plate to create bold prints. Litho is one of the complicated mediums but clearly visualises delicate lines and tones. The metal plate and the paper are positioned in a press and light pressure is used to transfer some of the ink. The original images are monochrome (pen and ink based).Needless to say, movement has been a recurring theme in Shahabuddin's works for the last three decades. Not only does the artist concentrate on human movements but his works also delineate a wide variety of animals.

Nader Rahman

Climate change has captured public attention much like the cold war, we all know there is a common enemy and there is a real threat of disaster, but at the back of our minds we think, if all else fails at least we have a bomb shelter. The only difference is that while a bomb shelter may protect one from a Soviet onslaught, it won't be of much use underwater, because that's what climate change can, will and is doing to millions of homes across the world. For those who think it's a myth, all they need to do is travel to the south of Bangladesh so see the first hand effects of climate change and how it destroys more than just homes, but dreams and aspirations.

Interpretation of the masterpieces through new eyes

As done in the traditional kushan gaan performances of North Bengal area of the country, the choir leader Kripa Sindhu Roy Sarkar enters onstage playing bena, an indigenous single cord instrument that is played like a veena, followed by the other members of the troupe and gives circular movements. Subsequently, the choir starts ashonbandana (a traditional style of beginning a performance in indigenous performing art forms). This time the leading kushan gaan troupe of the country that has attained popularity performing episodes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata in many places in Bangladesh and in India, has not narrated any story from the popular epics. The theme of the performance, however, features problems that common people face: how immoral and illicit acts can destroy a family. The performance titled Adrishya Paap, is indeed, an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's masterpiece Ghosts. But it is eons away from the bookish, middle-class Ghosts, written by a western playwright. This is the people's tales, adapted, textured and layered through centuries of art rooted in common life. The performance does not feature the gloomy atmosphere of the original text; rather it is the vibrant energy along with the outrageously comic elements of the troupe that effortlessly communicates the dark side of human nature to the audience.

Dhaka
International
Film Festival

Ershad Kamol

The Dhaka International Film Festival (DIFF) is one of the most prestigious festivals of its kind in Bangladesh, which has helped shape an increasingly healthy film culture. The festival creates opportunity for local film lovers to watch contemporary films of the world. Since many internationally reputed filmmakers and critics come, the festival works as a bridge between local filmmakers and foreign delegates.

The Festival is organised on a regular basis by Rainbow Film Society, which has been dedicated to the promotion of a vibrant cine culture in Bangladesh and in celebrating the global mainstream in film and its social relevance since 1977. In the short span of seventeen years, DIFF has attained international recognition with ten festivals.

The upcoming 11th session of the festival is expected to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister on January 14 at the National Museum. The theme of the festival is “Better Film, Better Audience, Better Society” that will continue till January 22. Approximately 100 films with participation from 50 countries are expected to be screened in the festival. The festival will have a competition section for Australian and Asian cinema and segment categories for: "Retrospective", " Tribute", "Cinema of the World "," Children's Film "," Focus "," Bangladesh Panorama ", Women Filmmakers "," Independent Films Section" and "Spiritual Films Section".

"Fiction films from Asia and Australia with a minimum length of 70 minutes are eligible for entry in the competition section," informs Festival Director Ahmed Muztaba Zamal, " An international jury board will adjudicate the section. The award will include a crest, certificate and a cash prize of Tk. 100,000/- for the best film. The international jury committee will also select one Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Music Director and Best Cinema tographer. These awards will consist of a crest and certificate."

Syed Zain Al-mahmood

But for the vagaries of fate and fortune, pianist and composer Kishon Khan could be sitting at his workstation preparing econometric models. Instead, the 38-year-old British Bangladeshi musician is making waves with his Afro-Cuban-Bangla Jazz bands Motimba and Lokkhi Terra. Through sweet yet fiery performances at venues ranging from Queen Elizabeth Hall to the Kew Gardens, Kishon and his group have become one of the hottest properties on the World Music scene.

When Kishon Khan led Motimba out onto the stage at Radisson Water Garden Hotel for their first concert in Bangladesh on 30th October, no one knew quite what to expect. Bangladeshi audiences have not had much exposure to Afro-Cuban music, and the island is better known for its cigars and Fidel Castro. Kishon has never performed in public in this country, and had no idea how the music would be received. The ambitious tour to Bangladesh, a country dominated by pop and rock, itself took courage. But courage is something Kishon Khan has in abundance.

On the occasion of Martyred Intellectuals' Day and Victory Day, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) organised a group art exhibition. The exhibition features works -- in different mediums -- of 26 painters. On display are works of senior and prominent painters like Mohammad Kibria, Syed Jahangir, Syed Enayet Hossain, Nitun Kundu, Samarjit Roy Chowdhury, Nurul Islam, Hamiduzzaman Khan, Abdus Sattar, Nisar Hossain, Debasish Pal and others.

The International Ibsen Seminar and Theatre Festival 2009 ended at the National Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) on November 23. A discussion and prize giving ceremony for the art exhibition and competition on theatre icon Selim Al Deen were the highlights of the closing day. Centre for Asian Theatre (CAT) staged it's latest production, "The Communicator", on the last day. It was the second show of the play at the festival.