Beautiful Anger exhibition by Rubina Akhter

Although a graduate from art college, Rubina Akhter was never really fond of painting. And yet, the artist in her found solace in strokes of bold colours every time she was faced with emotions too complex emotions for words. For the past twenty years, it has been art that has helped Rubina Akhter navigate her way through life. And soon enough, she found herself bemused with the huge stockpile of art that she had created over the years.

Perhaps it was this feeling that led to her first ever art exhibition, "Beautiful Anger." With a mission to give her art a voice, she had spent all her time, energy, and money perfecting her artworks before finally putting them on display at Gallery Twenty One, located at 751 Satmasjid Rd, Dhanmondi, from 6 to 24 February, 2018. All her efforts paid off too as the response from art enthusiasts was immense.

"Rural Bengali women often stitch their stories in colourful quilts which we call 'nakshi katha'. You can say that my art is my 'nakshi katha', since this is the only platform through which I can tell the world my stories" explained Rubina Akhter, when asked about her artworks. 

Consisting of bold colours, her artworks portray women front and centre. Upon closer inspection, one can see the contrast between the bright hues and the agonized faces of these women. Having been an interior designer for 18 years, Rubina Akhter believes that good framing is an essential component for enhancing the beauty of artworks. Each of her paintings is surrounded by frames which are exclusively designed by her to complement her art, consisting of similar colours and patterns. 

"Women are often suppressed by their own insecurities and the boundaries that they set for themselves," she said, "and this is what I've tried to portray in my paintings."

Calling upon her interior designer skills, the artist also made table lamps, clocks, jewellery boxes, trunks, and even small tables. Since the designs are extracts from her paintings, they add a pop of bright colour to your household. Moreover, you can also find classy bags and a limited collection of fusion-wear which are bound to add a bit of contemporary vibe to your wardrobe.

Being a spontaneous free-spirited woman, Rubina Akhter had decided that this would be her last exhibition since she plans on ending her journey as an artist to explore new areas of interest. However, her future plans do include selling her numerous artworks as she hopefully looks forward to her next adventure!

Photo courtesy: Rubina Akhter