Creating art on the hills

It is an amazing experience accompanying prominent and promising artists of Bangladesh at the peak of Finlay Hills near the Institute of Fine Arts, University of Chittagong as Cosmos Art Camp 2018 begins in the port city. I am privileged to be a part of the art camp as a guest artist and journalist this time in such a ambience where renowned artist Alakesh Ghosh is getting a refreshing drink and portraying a couple of flowers on canvas, while I am writing this report for The Daily Star in a bungalow full of modern arts and antique possessions belonging to M Tariqul Islam. The art enthusiast-entrepreneur is hosting the art event at his house. Cosmos Gallery regularly organises art camp like this both at home and abroad, and later exhibits the outcomes at its gallery. 

By the time I have coated a canvas, eminent artist Professor Hamiduzzaman Khan has depicted four paintings on canvas that represent homage to the martyrs of 1971. Fascinated by the mystique beauty of the ambience, guest artist Ivy Zaman is depicting the visage of a meditative Buddha with sculptural form.

Eminent artist Professor Samarjit Roy Choudhury is busy depicting diagonal lines and geometric forms inspired from nature. Another guest artist, Sharbari Roy Choudhury, is portraying patriotism with red and green while Nazia Andaleeb Preema has depicted the essence of nature in abstract forms with eye-soothing tonal gradations of lemon yellow and blue.  

Depicting fishing nets is the forte of renowned artist Farida Zaman, who is now on her journey to the portrayal of suggestive image of idyllic Bengal. She is portraying fishing with Polo, a locally-designed fishing device.

Two noted artists, Ahmed Shamsudoha and Sheikh Afzal, have kept the vivre of the art camp with their artistic efforts and imagination. Both are depicting nature. The fading glow of vast landscape is the subject of Shamsudoha's painting while the mysterious silence of the woods together with the beauty of twisting branches of a tree has embellished the canvas of Sheikh Afzal.

Talented artist Bishwajit Goswami has chosen a secluded place to depict the magnanimous glory of motherhood on canvas. Tariqul Islam, the host of the art camp, is a poet who has a book titled “Jolchhap” to his name. Goswami, also a teacher at the Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka, will depict the spirit of universal motherhood and motherland taking essence from reading a poem by Tariqul Islam that reflects motherhood.

Promising artists Shahanoor Mamun and Sourav Chowdhury are depicting diverse imagery of nature using soft and soothing mingling of yellow and blue.

The place is exquisitely befitting for holding such an art camp. The lush greenery around coupled with the mystique beauty of the hilly woods has charmed us all. The host boasts of equal taste of the artists. All are eagerly waiting for the evening to set in when the artists will celebrate life by rendering songs. The art camp concludes tomorrow with sightseeing different places of the port city.