Celebration of surrealism and beyond

Gallery Twenty One has organised an 11-day long group art exhibition titled “ERA” at its gallery, Dhanmondi in the capital. Member of the Parliament Simin Hossain Rimi and writer-artist Professor Nisar Hossain, also the Dean of Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka, jointly inaugurated the exhibition on October 30.

The exhibition features artworks by 10 promising artists --Jewel A Rob, Azmol Hosen, Bubly Barna, Jaharia Alam Jenifar, Nabila Mehzabin, Nahfia Jahan Monni, Pervaj Hasan Rigan, Sayed Fida Hossain, Tanvir Jalal, and Upoma Das Trina. The artworks engage viewers as they capture particular artistic thoughts, sensitive aspects of contemporary time, expertise and excellence of thinking by the participating artists.  It's like collage poetry of rebellion and flame.

Realism surpasses the representation of arts embracing the connotation of surrealism. The exhibition seemingly aims to resurrect the works of Salvador Dali and René Magritte as the participating artists' works reverberate that nuance. The subjects like cactus-head, rearrangement of corporal shapes or representations of mystic saints in different appearances in several paintings evoke a type of fantasy. The reflection of contemporary restless time is also noticeable in some of the paintings. 

Some artists are prone to be immersed in the fancy of surreal romanticism. They depict the waves of the sea entering into the room through windows; fanciful roaming across the sea and more. It is certainly interesting to make a saint sit on a loudspeaker instead of a lotus.

Alongside capturing time and space, the artists' works are evocative of artistic excellence. The exhibition remains open from 12pm to 8pm until November 9.