Poetry and Painting with poets around the world starts today

An exposition of painting based on international poetry will start from today at the National Art Gallery of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Organised as part of Dhaka International Poets Summit 2019 the mega show will be inaugurated at 6.30pm today. Poetical pieces by fifteen poets from six countries including Bangladesh have been adapted into visual artistry for the show that has been named "Poetry and Painting". Poet-cum-painter Maksudul Ahsan has painted the artworks of the show. Around fifty paintings will be displayed at the Sculpture Gallery of Shilpakala Academy until February 7.

Among the poets Maksudul to work on, from abroad are Dr Ali Al-Shalah of Iraq, Annabel Villar and Julio Pavanetti of Uruguay, Claire Booker of Britain, Kama Sywor Kamanda of Congo, Malim Ghazali Pk of Malaysia and Dr Tianxin Cai of China. Among Bangladeshi poets are Asad Chowdhury, Hayat Saif, Muhammad Nurul Huda, Habibullah Sirajee, Jahidul Huq, Mustafa Pasha, Maksudul Ahsan and Aminur Rahman. M Shah Alam Sarwar, CEO and MD of IFIC Bank will present as chief guest while Aktaruz Zaman Khan Kabir, Chairman of Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation will be present as the guest of honour at today's inaugural ceremony. The poets to be featured in the exhibition would also be present at the ceremony to read out their individual pieces.

Maksudul Ahsan was born in 1965, Chandpur, Bangladesh. He had completed his BFA in 1987 from Institute of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka and in 1989 MFA from the same University. Maksudul Ahsan has published two collections of poems in Bangla- Bishwashi Karotol ( 1989), Sawndarjer Stabo (1990). Maksud has read his works at various arts and literary festivals, cultural venues home and abroad. There are thirteen solo and a numerous international and national group exhibitions that go to his credit at home and abroad. He has participated several times with Indian Masters.  Maksud's works are in the collections of the Bangladesh National Museum, Dhaka, Bangladesh; National Gallery, Dhaka, Bangladesh;  Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh and in many privet collections at home and abroad. He was in Delhi from 1994 to 2002 and established himself as an important painter and poet in the art and cultural circle there. He has curated several exhibitions in India and Bangladesh; including 'Artist of the Century' M F Husain's solo, Indo- Bangla Master Painters show etc. He has six publications and more than 50 book covers to his credit. Presently he is full time artist and General Secretary of Bandhan Art & Culture Society.