Photos: Mohammad Tawhid Ur Rashid
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Photos: Mohammad Tawhid Ur Rashid
Students from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Dhaka University (DU) recently organised Syllaবাদ, an art exhibition that extends beyond academic boundaries. This collective exhibition showcases works created by artists who have produced artworks outside of conventional education. Over 80 artworks by students from eight departments of the Faculty of Fine Arts were displayed at the Zainul Gallery.
Photo: Mohammad Tawhid Ur Rashid
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Photo: Mohammad Tawhid Ur Rashid
Mubtasim Alvee, a student from the Faculty of Fine Arts and one of the organisers and curators of the exhibition, shared, “Every year there are exhibitions in various departments, but no work outside of class assignments is validated there. I believe students should have a stake in the gallery space of Fine Arts.” He lamented that there weren’t any exhibitions where they could display their personal works; everything was academic.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel. He further states, “Within this framework, there is no conversation about artistic identity or the essence of the artist. This exhibition has been organised as a collective initiative to address that gap.”
In response to the question of whether conventional academic education is essential, Mubtasim said, “We are not dismissing academic learning, but we want to challenge the psychological barriers it creates. We also aim to create a source for alternative thinking. For example, in our exhibition, we transformed the gallery space into a collective painting space. We made it interactive, allowing visitors to leave their criticisms on the wall so that it becomes a living dialogue.”
Photo: Mohammad Tawhid Ur Rashid
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Photo: Mohammad Tawhid Ur Rashid
The organisers arranged an open discourse with teachers to understand their academic perspectives. “Through this format, we have tried to uncover the timeline of this issue, which has been prevalent in Bangladesh for many years,” he added.
Chinmoy Ghosh, a student from the Department of Sculpture, stated, “I’ve participated in this exhibition with two sculptures of mine. Beyond traditional education, we create many works that critics do not consider art. When such works are brought together and displayed, they will inspire other artists.”
Photo: Mohammad Tawhid Ur Rashid
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Photo: Mohammad Tawhid Ur Rashid
When asked about the future of such initiatives, Mubtasim said, “Students from various universities have reached out to us. Though we are starting on a small scale, we are striving to take this exhibition from university level to a national level.” He hopes that through this exhibition, an art movement will begin, and its impact will be felt in society.
Mohammad Tawhid Ur Rashid is a Campus Ambassador for The Daily Star from Dhaka University.