Presenting a myriad of Bangladesh-Indian artworks

Basilio (an art gallery) and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy have jointly organised a group art exhibition which carries a distinct trait because of some high ranking Indian painters' attention-grabbing works with several Bangladeshi technically advanced painters' works put on display at the National Art Gallery of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in the city. The artworks are in different mediums and have a wide range of varieties. Most of the painters have been recognized for their own style and approach. This is not the first time Basilio has arranged an exhibition of paintings from Bangladesh and India. The first exhibition was held at the Shilpangan Gallery which was established byfamed journalist and art connoisseur Faiz Ahmed. The exhibition gave a chance for art aficionados to enjoy the outstanding artworks of many preeminent artists of both countries.   

About his initiatives to bring together artists from India and Bangladesh Maksudul Ahsan, a recognised painter, curator and the CEO of the Basilio Gallery, said "In the first joint exhibition (Shilpangan Gallery) of artists from Indo-Bangladesh in our country, I had the opportunity to present artists whom people of this country had never seen before like FN Souza, MF Husain, KG Subramanyan, Jogen Chowdhury, Sanat Kar among others. The next exhibition was arranged at the Academy of Fine Arts in India under the title 'Bengal Chromosome' featuring most of the renowned artists from India and Bangladesh. The subsequent show was again held at Shilpangan Gallery with thirty Indian masters and some celebrated contemporary painters. Two more exhibitions followed and this time at the then newly established "Basilio Gallery" which is owned by me and one of them featured master painters from the two countries. The last exhibition that I curated and also arranged was a solo show of the legendary Indian painter MF Husain. My belief is that the artists and art connoisseurs from India and Bangladesh and also to some extent artistic and cultural activities here even if minimally have benefitted from these expositions. As a result, now-a-days many enthusiastic art patrons are engaging in various exhibition shows and exchange of art, I salute them."

Glimpses into the works displayed in the present exhibition of two countries, where art enthusiasts can find enough of realism, semi-realism, abstractionism, semi-abstractionism, abstract expressionism, neo-expressionism and more, are as follows:
Indian Painters
At the show MF Husain's several prints denote archetypal horses, images of Mother Theresa, gods and goddesses, the vibrant hue and spirit of Indian festivals. A few of his prints denote the regional diversity of Indian dance forms, an integral part of high culture and festival rituals. The iconic Indian painter mingled western modernity with Indian folk style -- focusing on vibrant colours, bold curves, dynamic movements (human figures and animals) and figurative compositions. Fragmentation is a recurring trait in his prints. The maestro was deeply interested in cubism as well. Cubism gained popularity in India through his adroit hands.
Paritosh Sen's works commonly include strong underlying socio-political shades, and his female nude drawings. The nude female figure and a weird female visage are being showcased at the expo. His style of representation is influenced by his exposure to Western Modern Art, and has traces of cubism. He has used structured planes but creates an illusion of voluptuousness.His figures are distinguished for their strong lines and bold, stylised strokes.

Jogen Chowdhury's single canis depicts the uniqueness of its traits. The painter is widely acknowledged to be, the master of the unbroken lines and scribbles. Most of his works has been stirred by the linear Kalighat pat tradition, but his lines are sensitive and communicative.
Suhas Roy's work denotes a portrait which captures an aged visage with eloquent features and the background is black. The portrait is a lonely replica of contemporary consciousness. It also carries melancholic grace, elegance and simplicity with a dreamlike world that can oscillate between sensuality and innocence.
Aditya Basak's etching shows a female visage with rigid approach, which has the backdrop in black. The print focuses on muted, subdued tones which unfold struggle for existence and loneliness. Reality and imagination-both have been impeccably mirrored and the printmaker has an allure for delusion and fragments of the imagination.
Atin Basak's etching shows a balance between lucidity and elegance, the personal and the impersonal vision where a large sized flower is placed on the foreground on the side of a human's head. He explores the thin control lines that lie between animate and inanimate world.
Niranjan Prodhan has etched a long skinny peacock in the mode of stylistic semi-cubism. He has simply used black and white and the print stimulates us to the explanation the mystery of human life.
Bimal Kundu's etching is stunning for its structural formation of thevisage of an unrecognizable animal and its sophisticated hues and at a closer look, the abstract composition tells its own story.

Bangladeshi Painters
Monirul Islam is mainly recognised as a printmaker, who produces different genres of prints. His works simultaneously demonstrate technical finesse and mature intellect. His relationship with geometric abstraction has made him one of the pioneers of abstract painting in our country. Monir's specialty is his delicate lines and the balance between use of space and composition. Use of space is an important aspect of his prints and the artist likes to work with unusual forms and shapes.
Artist Abdus Shakoor Shah is widely recognised for his folk motifs and ballads. His present works break new ground in its technical and material aspects. The works seem more time consuming and technically phenomenal than ever before. At the exhibition, Shakoor's works predominantly use collages and he directly pastes pieces of colourful saree, pieces of cloths on his canvas. These pieces give his works a more decorative quality. The canvas appears more vibrant and lively for its slightly cracked surface.
Shahabuddin Ahmed perpetually focuses on the strength and power of the people of Bengal. His drawing is not quiet or tranquil at all times; it appears very bold and projects an audacious look. His creations inspire us to love the motherland and pay homage to it. He always tries to highlight the gallantry of our freedom fighters and their patriotism. He draws fearless figures and their bold movements.
At the exhibition, Biren Shome's painting delves deep into pure abstraction. The themes emerge in his works symbolically and at times according to his paintings' characters. The painter feels that nature come into view in his works through his personal observations and experiences.His compositions are neatly organised, demonstrating soothing tones and aesthetic arrangement of space.
Alokesh Ghosh, considered one of the most dedicated among contemporary Bangladeshi watercolourist, has a passion for demonstrating the splendour of nature, urban and semi-urban milieu, serene environment, riverine life, cloudy skies and pastoral areas. Ghosh's watercolours are superb in terms of his individual techniques and in creating the effects of water. The artist's technique is particularly based on smooth wash and thin colour.
Farida Zaman has been focusing on riverine life in Bangladesh, articulating the community of fishermen, their miseries and untold stories which have been concealed from us. Her acrylic works provide an insight into the lives of fishermen and their harsh life in the semi-abstract mode and the forms are very alluring.

Muniruzzaman has a passion for portraying the splendour of nature -- tranquility, foggy environment, cloudy skies and hilly areas. He prefers seasonal transformation, flying cranes, winter mornings, mangrove forests, crows, birds sitting on tree, people at leisure chatting, rainy days, water vessels and blue skies. The subjects of his works appear in a sombre mood and their characteristics are consistently highlighted.
Maksudul Ahsan is one of the distinguished and thoughtful painters who earned acknowledgment at the early 1990s. Social and urban life and its socio-economic aspects, as well as the surrounding atmosphere have made a great impact on his several periods of works. His works plunge deep into childhood, nature, social and political disorder, partition of the sub-continent and after its effects, human relationships, personal loss, social injustice, gender discrimination and more.  
In his checkered career, Maksud has done several series of works in varied mediums with a wide range of subjects. As a socially conscious painter, Maksud's paintings always highlight social and political turmoil, psychological disorder of human being and he also limns the moving and remarkable sights around us. The artist paints people, capturing the diverse moments of their social bindings. He portrays both pastoral and city people -- their sufferings, torments, bliss and ecstasies.
Some of Maksud's paintings at the present exhibition articulate nature's unseen and unobserved beauty. In his use of colour, he has displayed a certain romantic concern for vivacious, lively hues and soulful texture. He brings in romanticism and nature in his works as well. Among the works, some also expresses the aesthetic beauty of Bengali women, their varied moods and eternal beauty. His paintings are powerful in their tone of lines and serenity.
In one of Maksud's evocative series he has delineated the movement of virulent bulls and horses. The animal seems potent and desperate to break free. Through the painting, Maksud wants to underscore liberty. The figures appear stimulating, and at the same time thought provoking. Figure and animal movements both have captured simultaneously in some of his paintings done in different periods. Maksud emblematically focuses on the strength and power. He also tries to highlight the gallantry of masses.