A solo exhibition of scrap metal sculpture titled ‘Hard Emotions’ by Arhamul Huq Chowdhury is currently underway at La Galerie, Alliance Française de Dhaka in the capital’s Dhanmondi area.
The exhibition was inaugurated jointly by three physically challenged people on Friday. Bruno Plasse, Director of Alliance Française de Dhaka welcomed the guests and presided over the opening ceremony.
A series of sculptures will be presented in an exhibition entitled ‘Hard Emotions’ by Arhamul Huq Chowdhury, the works are done at the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) in Savar. A rehabilitation centre where various mobility aids including wheelchairs, stretcher trolleys and crutches are made for the physically disabled treated there. The sculptures are made from the off cuts and broken leftovers from these devices. Each piece carries an intense emotional juxtaposition and at times looks at the society and its systems in a rather comical way.
The artist held a similar type of exhibition entitled ‘From the Ashes’ at the Bengal Gallery in 2005. The artist is trained in anthropology and held various solo exhibitions in different genre, pioneering in Furniture, Bangla Calligraphy, natural dye and Bonsai to name a few. A volunteer for more than 16 years in this organisation founded by  Valerie Taylor in 1979, who had been working since 1969 in this part of the world in the field of disability. CRP is a broad spectrum organisation working in various fields of disability, especially spinal cord injury where even the poorest of the poor receive treatment, rehabilitation and vocational training. This charitable organisation will receive all the proceeds from the exhibition, from all participants, including the host-venue, the artist’s agent and the artist himself. A great deal of emotion has been poured into each work and it is to be hoped that its message will be conveyed to each visitor at the exhibition. Arhamul Huq Chowdhury holds a root of an architectural anthropology background which is why, his work is always much into human and its structures. Part of the reason is his individuality that inspires him to pay heed to others.
The exhibition is open to all till October 7 and can be visited according to the following schedule—Monday to Thursday from 3pm to 9pm, Friday and aturday (9:00am to12: 00pm and 5pm to 8pm). Closed -Sunday. l