‘Choloman Upakhyan’: AFD students capture stories through their camera

The inauguration ceremony of the group photography exhibition "Choloman Upakhyan" recently took place at La Galarie of Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD) yesterday. The photography exhibition was arranged by the students of the 'Visual Storytelling Workshop' of Alliance Française de Dhaka, coordinated by Abir Abdullah. Shafiqul Alam, Bureau Chief, France-Press, Tushar Abdullah, Editorial Head of Ekhon Television, and photographer of Map Photo Agency, Shafiqul Alam Kiron were present as the special guests at the event.

At the workshop, the participants were taught how to visually present a story through the thematic use of realistic or imaginary series of photographs. And the outcome has been wonderful which we get to see at the exhibition. "Choloman Upakhyan" consists of photographs of five visual lens based artists. They have chosen different social issues to portray through their own perspectives.

Ashek Ur Rahaman is a Dhaka based photographer who is committed to use art to tell stories. His "Hours" is a reflection of small fractions of daily life –steam from the cup of morning tea, a solitary walk, a chair in warm sunlight, or the dimly lit book shelf. These mundane things can define our way of life. Prosenjit Das loves discovering new places and new people.

Believing photography is a powerful tool, he uses his skill as a documentary photographer. Through "The Unparallel Life" which is the story of a middle-aged woman Deepa who has taken care of her mentally ill brothers for over twenty years, he has shown the need and necessity of mental health awareness in Bangladesh.

"The World is a Beautiful Place" by Rubel Karmaker seeks deeper meanings in simpler scenes of life that we either cherish or suffer. Fallen flowers and leaves, oil bubbles, coils of wires, smokes and motion blurred colors etc. are his chosen scenes. "My Father, My Hero" by Suvro Paul is a heart-touching story of a tea garden labourer father taking care of his special-needs child. Iqbal Hossain uses his photography skills to evoke joy, sadness, and everything in between. We get to see the negative impact of climate and socio-economic changes in the Brahmaputra river basin through his "Climate Change: The Life of Brahmaputra".

The entire gallery holds a sophisticated vibe thanks to the visual artists' photography. AFD will run this open-for-all exhibition till June 27, 2023.