Intl group art show begins at Gallery Cosmos
UNB
A month-long international group art exhibition began at Gallery Cosmos in the city on Sunday, reports UNB. French Ambassador to Bangladesh Sophie Aubert, Thai Ambassador to Bangladesh Panpimon Suwannapongse and internationally renowned artist Shahabuddin Ahmed jointly inaugurated the exhibition titled Cosmos International Art Exhibition 2016 featuring the artworks of 28 artists from Bangladesh, Canada, India, Nepal and Pakistan in the evening.
Some 40 artworks on different themes have been put on display at the exhibition which will remain open for visitors from 12 pm to 8 pm every day till December 26 at the Villa de Anjuman in Mohakhali.
Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Benoit-Pierre Laramee, UNB Editor-in-Chief and Cosmos Gallery Chairman Enayetullah Khan, Cosmos Gallery Director Tehmina Enayet, Indian artists Avijit Roy and Neeti Hegde, Bangladeshi artists Kalidas Karmakar and Monirul Islam were, among others, present at the inaugural ceremony moderated by UNB Director Nahar Khan.
The French ambassador said, Painting or writing or talking is a way to use freedom of our expression. I wanted to be here in order to say that we must defend freedom of expression. Many are not allowed to talk, write and paint, and even not allowed to live in some places in the world.
Noting that Shahbuddin and Kalidas Karmakar worked in France on occasions, Sophie Aubert stressed the need for peaceful bridges between Canada and Bangladesh.
Noting that the exhibition is a good example of what Bangladesh can do, the Canadian envoy said it is interesting as there are lots of varieties of artworks of the artists coming from different backgrounds.
Saying that many women artists participated in the exhibition, she said, Be enabled to express yourselves. This is certainly a way to fight violence against women.
Artist Shahabuddin said though a few negative incidents have tainted Bangladeshs image to foreigners, the reality is not the same as art in the country is so strong.
About the recent terrorist attack on the Spanish restaurant at Gulshan, he said unfortunately the country experienced a disturbance. I think Bangladesh will go far, especially in painting.
Tehmina Enayet said she felt honoured to have all the talented international and local artists at the exhibition.
Nine foreign artists participated in the exhibition. They are Asit Kumar Patnaik, Avijit Roy and Neeti Hegde from India, Asma Mahmood and Shahid Rassam from Canada, GN Qazi, Muhammad Shafiq Rana and Shaista Momin from Pakistan, and Kiran Manandhar from Nepal.
The Bangladeshi artists who participated in the show are Rafiqun Nabi, Monirul Islam, Kalidas Karmakar, Biren Shome, Shahabuddin Ahmed, Jamal Ahmed, Alakesh Ghosh, Farida Zaman, Rokeya Sultana, Kanak Chanpa Chakma, Nisar Hossain, Syed Iqbal, Shameem Subrana, Afrozaa Jamil Konka, Maksuda Iqbal Nipa, Bipasha Hayat, Nazia Andaleeb Preema, Bishwajit Goswami, and Sourav Chowdhury.
The exhibition was curated by Afrozaa Jamil Konka, Nain Amyn and Tehmina Enayet.
