Farida Yesmin Parveen brings fluid acrylic art to life in ‘Colors of Nature’

Almost eight years ago, my eyes encountered a mystical green painting that looked like a fluid fairy forest. That piece, along with several others, shared a similar sense of fluidity. They belonged to a senior from both my school and university. Since then, this style of artwork, known as fluid acrylic art, has become one of my obsessions, making me dive into its world. When I thus came across artist Farida Yesmin Parveen's art exhibition event on social media, I realised that she's someone I must meet.

"Colors of Nature", Farida Yesmin Parveen's second solo art exhibition, was officially inaugurated at Safiuddin Shilpalay last Friday. Urbanist and art writer Emeritus Professor Nazrul Islam, renowned artist Prof Abul Barq Alvi, and director of SA Group of Companies, Samsul Alam Pantho, who is also the artist's son, attended the ceremony as guests, and shared kind words appreciating the artist. Her daughter, Sayma Ahmed Shanta, director of SA Group of Companies, was also present at the event. 

Fluid acrylic art is a form of painting created by mixing acrylic colours with water and/or a medium, then pouring them onto a canvas to allow the paint to flow freely. There are several techniques, such as the Dutch pour, which uses a hairdryer to move the paint; the one-cup pour, where layered colours are poured from a single cup; and swiping with combs, tissues, or paper to create patterns. Sometimes, artists use silicone oil to enhance the formation and size of cells. 

Interestingly, fluid acrylic art is a popular choice for art therapy, especially for individuals with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), and other conditions that affect cognitive function, particularly emotional regulation.

Artist Farida Yesmin Parveen found herself drawn to the world of fluid painting five years ago. She studied and practised this particular art form extensively in Singapore. Since fluid art is still relatively unknown in Bangladesh, she decided to share her knowledge in her home country. At the end of her speech, she provided the audience with a brief introduction to the basic techniques of fluid art. 

As I entered the gallery of Safiuddin Shilpalay, currently adorned with vibrant and therapeutic paintings by Farida Yesmin Parveen, my eyes met rows of large canvases, each luxuriously framed for display. Even before I had the chance to examine the artworks up close, my soul was already filled with delight.

Parveen finds inspiration from nature and expresses it vividly in her paintings. Birds, flowers, tigers, starfish, serpents, jellyfish, and elements of land and sea—including oceans, waves, sunsets on shores, seashells, volcanic eruptions, glaciers, reefs, deserts, textures of the earth, and diffused sunlight—are all portrayed through abstract or semi-abstract expressionism.

The artist has also created artworks depicting celestial bodies. Aside from the extra care needed to craft the cellular forms in her paintings, the best aspect of her work is how skillfully she uses bright colours, keeping in mind that they should be visually comfortable for the viewer.

"Colors of Nature" is a heartwarming exhibition that presents fluid art on a grand scale. The collection will be on display at Safiuddin Shilpalay until July 24.

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