An exhibition was held recently by Elora Parvin, who presented hand-stitched portraits of famous personalities throughout global history, at Drik gallery in Dhanmondi. Though she is a housewife, Elora likes to spend her free time stitching and creating artwork. Eminent novelist Selina Hossain, Chairman of Bangladesh Shishu Academy, recently inaugurated the event.

A special segment of the display depicted the freedom movement of the Bangladeshi people, along with the gruesome attack on the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Another remarkable creation by Elora managed to encapsulate the essence of Bangladesh through her stitch work. It portrayed the Sundarbans, Royal Bengal Tigers, jackfruits, magpie-robins, water lilies on the river bank and our national fish, Hilsa.

As Elora talked about her art, she disclosed a strong connection about her unconditional love for the motherland. She nurtured an appreciation for art since a very young age. She finds immense satisfaction in stitching her artworks. “I work for eight to ten hours every day to complete my creations,” expressed Elora. “Each piece narrates a different story.”

Through her work, she wishes to pay a small tribute to legendary figures like Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi and others. A wide range of other prominent personalities like Kazi Nazrul Islam, Rabindranath Tagore, Begum Rokeya, Shakib Al Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza, Runa Laila, and Sabina Yasmin also adorned the walls of the gallery.

Having conducted her first solo exhibition with success, Elora is enthusiastic to continue the hard work. “I am glad people appreciate my artworks. It is a major confidence boost up,” she added. She plans to partake in global competitions to represent Bangladesh through her stitch work and wishes to conduct more diverse exhibitions in the future.