The magicians behind TSC’s glow-up

Remember Shirin Akter Shela's stunning attire in the final round of the Miss Universe pageant in Georgia?

Her red Jamdani sari, paired with a stunning 'rickshaw' hood, alphabetic jewellery not only stood out, but earned accolades from all over the world.

Fashion designer Tasmit Afiyat Arny was the person behind the bold statement.

The Shela-Arny duo recently collaborated in another marvellous outing -- giving TSC, considered the heart of Dhaka University, an ambitious glow-up.

This time, Shela and Arny worked with Shemanto Saha and Zerin Sinthee, putting their artistic touch on the tea stalls, adorning them with bright, lively rickshaw paint.

 "I love creating art that upholds the culture and heritage of Bangladesh," says Arny, who works as the Associate Art Director at Asiatic MCL.

Both Shemanto and Zerin are students of DU.

Tea stalls are an integral part of our suburban 'adda' culture, where people from all walks of life sit down, grab a cup of piping hot tea, and talk about all kinds of subjects – whether it be politics, sports, music or films. "I was impressed when Shela came up with the idea, and we formed a team to execute the plan," she adds.

It took the artists four nights to paint 19 stalls. "

Shemanto Saha, Zerin Sinthee, Tasmit Afiyat Arny and Shirin Akter Shela. Photos: Courtesy

We took help from professional rickshaw painters as well," says Arny.

"We wanted to make a statement – tea stalls could be just as beautiful as any restaurants. After all, this is something that binds all of us together," she says. 

Always keen on preserving age-old Bengali traditions, the artist has been exploring her creativity, with various conceptual projects.

"I want to work further on contemporary Bangladeshi folk art," she concludes.