‘Shocking Pink’: An afternoon filled with affection

Contrary to its name, "Shocking Pink" by Preema Nazia Andaleeb was an organic performance art depicting the feelings of labour pain. Dwip gallery, where the performance took place, was decorated with dim yet colourful lights. There was abeer (dry crimson color) and dry electric pink colour, as the name bearers.

Handwritten notes lay on the floor, on one wall a mirror, and a sculptural prop of a child lying in the middle of the innermost room of the gallery. The performance started at 5pm on July 3, 2023. This was my first time seeing the artist's performance so closely.

Preema Nazia Andaleeb is a visual artist from Bangladesh, and also an entrepreneur and cultural influencer. She has represented Bangladesh Creative Industry at the prestigious Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity in Cannes, France since 2014. Passionate about female leadership and empowerment, she believes art has no limits. Her tactile imagery and technique to create visual tension is an intuitive and powerful weapon to challenge the stereotypical thinking of art.

The performance started with the artist taking off her boots and circling the room. She built up the tension in her expressions with physical contact with the spectators and deep breathing. Preema says, "Provocation is the residue of my art". She went beyond the periphery of bleak and mundane to create shocking moments.

There was music to which she moved her physique with gestures of affection sprinkled with casual intimacy. Thus her audience ended up with solemn peace and warmth due to the femininity or 'pinkness' of the performance.  

After the performance, there was a discussion on how one connects to art. The artist welcomed each and every visitor's opinion, and she herself expressed hers. The session was also about diversity and inclusion as there was nothing censored speech-wise as well as gestures.

Preema has said that she does not make plans as she lives for the spontaneity and free flowing gestures and postures during her performances. She added that she is the only art that exists for her and so it is up to her spectators to feel her art in their own ways. The whole environment might have been shocking pink, but the reflection of the art in the hearts of Preema's audience was a rather softer reflection of the colour instead.

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Mehedi Haque receives scholarship from California College of the Arts