Around the mid-2000s, a young Munem Wasif, with his rickety Soviet-era Zenit camera, found himself indulging in the allures of the older parts of Dhaka. Infinite lived experiences and thousands of shutter counts later, his first magnum opus, “Belonging”, came to life in 2012. This photo book became one of the most revered photographic bodies of work in Bangladesh’s visual art history.
Playing intricately groovy bass lines while effortlessly singing in tune with his ethereal voice at the same time, often clad in his signature hat and always well-fashioned both on and off stage, Shafin Ahmed was an epitome of showmanship. The artiste was a larger-than-life persona not only in the history of Bangla rock music but also in the history of Bangladeshi art, regardless of mediums.
Currently on display at Kala Kendra in Dhaka, “Liminal Horizon” is a solo exhibition by artist Sanad Biswas that explores the concept of transitional spaces, blurring the lines between the tangible and the intangible. Through an enticing collection of sculptures, the exhibition explores themes of liminality where the familiar dissolves into the unknown. As one of the most striking sculpture showcases in Dhaka’s post-pandemic art scene, “Liminal Horizon” stands out for its thought-provoking approach and the way it redefines spatial perception.
On a show featuring a stellar lineup, which included the epitomes of '90s Bangla rock — Miles, Nagar Baul, Ark, and Dalchhut — alongside Drockstar Shuvo and the prodigious Oni Hasan, with Jon Kabir, Jamshed Chowdhury, and Kazi Zohad Yazdani, perhaps the most delightful scene was seeing a notable number of attendees who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s.
The essence of the events Bangladesh witnessed during the student-led mass uprising in July and August, which escalated into a bloodied revolution, ultimately toppling the regime of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and giving rise to what we now call a new Bangladesh, is truly inexplicable.
The new Bangladesh achieved through the student-led and bloodied revolution in July-August is witnessing the most devastating flood crisis in recent collective memory. However, people from all walks of life promptly responded, collaborating for aid and rescue missions.
In the wake of two triumphant editions, the third edition of the exhibition of the principal local event celebrating the practice of photojournalism in the country, the “Bangladesh Press Photo Contest 2024”, lifted its curtains yesterday. While the exhibition is taking place on the second floor, the inaugural event took place in the house-full eighth-floor gallery of the capital's DrikPath Bhobon.
The show “Guitar Clinic With Oni Hasan” meticulously organised by Mavix Global at the Liberation War Museum auditorium last Thursday (May 16) featured musical maestros like Mizan Rahman and Ershad Zaman. The event was a rather dreamlike affair — especially for the up-and-coming guitar enthusiasts amongst the audience inside the venue.
Eighty-six years after Sayeeda's birth, these facts still resound, underscoring the pivotal role of parenting and support systems in shaping someone's journey, regardless of the societal norms they were born into. However, winning the birth lottery didn’t mean it was easy for Sayeeda; what she accomplished with a camera, paving the way for future generations of female photographers, was nothing short of conquering the Himalayas.
Despite the ceaseless drizzle in Dhaka, brought about by the deep depression soon to evolve into a cyclone, hundreds of metalheads braved the weather to storm into mosh pits at the "Legacy of Metal Revived" event last Friday at the Liberation War Museum auditorium.
Dhaka witnessed a mighty crowd of music lovers this year at yesterday’s “Cholo Bangladesh Concert” organised by the telecom giant Grameenphone and AsiaticExp at the Army Stadium. The star-studded line-up consisting of some of the finest musical acts of the country varying across genres, delivered yet another show for audiences to cherish for a long time.
It was an era where the greatest paintings served as sublime examples of ideal beauty, linear perspective, and balanced compositions, emphasising the artists' talents while fulfilling the desires of their patrons. However, breaking away from the dominant tradition of painting of the time, Caravaggio made a divine entrance onto the scene with his masterpiece, "The Calling of Saint Matthew".
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Rothko's most perilous battleground was his own mind, as he battled depression throughout his life, even at the zenith of his career and personal life.
Arguably one of his most iconic lens-based artworks is "Le Violon d’Ingres" (1924), which sold at auction last year for a staggering USD 12.4 million, making it the most expensive photograph ever sold.
The exhibition of the second edition of the annual Bangladesh Press Photo Contest closed its curtains yesterday.
In celebration of International Jazz Day 2023, a special show was organised by Dhaka Broadcast on Sunday, April 30. The show was presented by Innovative Creations Ltd and took place at the capital’s The Garage Food Court.
Daagi’s latest exhibition, which has been titled “Zero Calorie”, tries to re-explore our contemporary issues, questioning and reminding us of the usual narratives which are underlyingly problematic and collectively ignored. For instance, even their choice of words in the exhibition title and note has a metaphorical meaning too.
Starting from being featured in Fuad Al Muqtadir’s iconic mixed album Bonno—with their debut song "Prottasha"—in 2008, to self-distributing their first album Notun Srot, Shunno have weathered many a storm on their way to success.
