Artist trio set for Osaka show

Three eminent Bangladeshi artists -- Jamal Ahmed, Mohammad Iqbal and Mustapha Khalid Palash -- are set to display their paintings in a group exhibition titled AKA DOT to be held in Osaka, Japan from June 10. Osaka based Japanese company Holbein is hosting the exhibition at Holbein Gallery situated in Osaka, Japan. The exhibition will showcase several artworks of these three contemporary artists from Bangladesh. Though the three artists’ works vary from each other, they all are intertwined to some extent and quite contemporary in nature having their own style of artistic expressions. All the participating artists have their trainings in Japan; the former two are trained in Fine Art and the latter in Architecture. Their works are greatly influenced by the Japanese minimalistic approaches and Bangladeshi simplicities yet they are somber in appearances.

Ekushey Padak winning artist Jamal Ahmed’s empathy towards his subjects is remarkable, as he has been relentlessly portraying them for years now. Having the similar subjects on his canvas, Jamal always brings distinctive differences in every appearance. He has proved himself as a master artist in creating the visual impacts for the general to discerning audiences, with his simple subjects with deeper meanings.     

Mohammad Iqbal is one of the most celebrated artists of recent times. The subjects of this highly enlightened artist include human faces with encapsulating eyes, especially of children, which indicate the authentic souls which usually become contaminated in the later stages of adulthood. Iqbal’s specialty is that he uses quite a number of translucent layers in his paintings which at the end divulge a greater depth.

Being an important name in the architectural realm of Bangladesh, Mustapha Khalid Palash, beyond his architectural practice also paints, writes, plays sitar and is an avid practicioner of Rabindra Sangeet. He is a conscious activist in the realm of sociopolitical issues. Palash is considered as a natural born artist who had his training from his parents. The artist has already established his own style that incorporates bold and wide strokes, vibrant colours and playing with forms.

It is expected that the Japanese connoisseurs will admire their works and inspire their journey in the days ahead. The exhibition, curated by Mohammad Iqbal, will be inaugurated by Yoshio Kawami, the President of Holbein Company and remain open to all until 15 June.