Five Bangladeshi and four foreign artists awarded

Dhaka has become the hub of contemporary art thanks to the rendezvous of a few hundred local and foreign artists, curators, connoisseurs, critics and enthusiasts marking the 18th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh (AABB).

Beginning yesterday and to run till September 30 at the National Art Gallery, the Asian Art Biennale will display 583 artworks by 266 foreign and 199 Bangladeshi artists. The biennale has been organised by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) in association with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.

Bangladeshi artists Atia Islam and Salma Zakia Bristy together with Kandan G from India bagged grand awards. Wu jun (China), Monther Jawabreh (Palestine), Trirat Sriburin (Thailand) and three Bangladeshi artists --Kamruzzaman Shadhin, Fakrul Islam Mazumder and Najmun Nahar Keya received the Honourable Mention Awards. Recipients of grand and Honourable mention awardees received Tk 5 lakh and Tk3 lakh respectively along with crests.

The President signing the opening of the event. Photo: PID

President Abdul Hamid inaugurated the grand art event as chief guest while cultural affairs minister Asaduzzaman Noor attended the event as special guest. Professor Emeritus Tetsuya Noda and Thai Vice -Minister of Culture, graced the occasion as honourable guests. Internationally renowned Bangladeshi artist Shahabddin Ahmed, also the chairman of jury board of the biennale, declared the award winners of AABB 2018. Secretary to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs Nasir Uddin Ahmed presided over the programme.  

“Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh, one of the oldest international art biennales in Asia, is a space for cultural convergence,” said President Abdul Hamid. “It projects Bangladesh and its art to the global scene.”

The biennale also displays 69 artworks by master painters, performance art shows, seminars, art camps and more.

A five-member international jury consisting of renowned Bangladeshi artists Shahbuddin Ahmed and Abul Monsur, Professor Françoise Monnin from France, Krishna Setty from India and Blanca De La Torre from Spain selected the winning artworks. In addition, four observers- Artist Jogen Chowdhury from India, Professor Tetsuya Noda from Japan, Dr. MarekBartelik from Poland, and Deborah Dyer Frizzell from the USA are attending the Biennale.