Sheikh Arif Bulbon :
Kutal Barai, the young artist did his BFA and MFA in the Painting Department of University of Development Alternative (UODA). He has attended more than 20 group exhibitions at home and abroad.
He was awarded the ‘Honorable Award’ for the 17th Asian Art Biennale by Bangladesh, National Art Gallery, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
The solo art exhibition by Kuntal Barai titled ‘Displaced in Dhaka’ is being held at La Galerie of the Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD) in the city’s Dhanmondi area now. The exhibition was inaugurated on May 4.
Prof Nazrul Islam, academic, urban expert and art writer, inaugurated the exhibition as the chief guest, while Giusepee Semenza, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Italy-Dhaka, Shahjahan Ahmed Bikash, Associate Professor and Chairperson, Faculty of Fine Arts, UODA, art critic Mustafa Jaman and eminent artist Munirul Islam also attended on the occasion.
A number of studies state that Dhaka has reached the peak of criticality with its unplanned growth. Overpopulation, traffic congestion, ‘development’ sprees, and insanitary conditions have reached an all-time high. Where for a select few who can bear the brunt of a megalopolis gone haywire, Dhaka is a necessary evil, but the majority of the dwellers of Dhaka do not find the city a safe haven anymore.
The project is a survey of all of these and more. As an artist Kuntal Barai’s work takes into account the chaos as well as the sense of loss we have developed over the years. Still the artist believes there is an organic form of life in this chaos through which a new vision may one day burst into view.
Therefore, Kuntal’s work neither is a mere depiction of the lived experience nor is it only an interpretation where the real has been dissolved into conventional aesthetic standards. It is in fact a mixture of both.
There are about 100 artworks to be despaired in the exhibition and the media he uses are mixed media, printing and acrylic. The exhibition will continue till May 19. n
Kutal Barai, the young artist did his BFA and MFA in the Painting Department of University of Development Alternative (UODA). He has attended more than 20 group exhibitions at home and abroad.
He was awarded the ‘Honorable Award’ for the 17th Asian Art Biennale by Bangladesh, National Art Gallery, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
The solo art exhibition by Kuntal Barai titled ‘Displaced in Dhaka’ is being held at La Galerie of the Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD) in the city’s Dhanmondi area now. The exhibition was inaugurated on May 4.
Prof Nazrul Islam, academic, urban expert and art writer, inaugurated the exhibition as the chief guest, while Giusepee Semenza, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Italy-Dhaka, Shahjahan Ahmed Bikash, Associate Professor and Chairperson, Faculty of Fine Arts, UODA, art critic Mustafa Jaman and eminent artist Munirul Islam also attended on the occasion.
A number of studies state that Dhaka has reached the peak of criticality with its unplanned growth. Overpopulation, traffic congestion, ‘development’ sprees, and insanitary conditions have reached an all-time high. Where for a select few who can bear the brunt of a megalopolis gone haywire, Dhaka is a necessary evil, but the majority of the dwellers of Dhaka do not find the city a safe haven anymore.
The project is a survey of all of these and more. As an artist Kuntal Barai’s work takes into account the chaos as well as the sense of loss we have developed over the years. Still the artist believes there is an organic form of life in this chaos through which a new vision may one day burst into view.
Therefore, Kuntal’s work neither is a mere depiction of the lived experience nor is it only an interpretation where the real has been dissolved into conventional aesthetic standards. It is in fact a mixture of both.
There are about 100 artworks to be despaired in the exhibition and the media he uses are mixed media, printing and acrylic. The exhibition will continue till May 19. n
