Capital’s Art Circuit Comes Alive: Three Distinct Exhibitions Showcase Floral Elegance, Labor Realities, and Emerging Talent

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DHAKA, BANGLADESH — The capital’s art landscape is experiencing a vibrant cultural surge with three separate exhibitions currently running at premier creative spaces across the city. From deeply intimate floral pastels in Lalmatia to an evocative exploration of labor rights in Jigatola, and a diverse group showcase of the new generation in Banani, Dhaka’s art galleries are offering a rich palette of visual narratives.

The Canvas of a Veteran: Effat Ara Dewan’s ‘Aparajita’

In Lalmatia, a cluster of night-blooming gardenias appears so vivid in a neatly arranged vase that visitors can almost sense their fragrance. Titled ‘Nishithe Gandharaj’, this striking pastel painting forms the centerpiece of a solo exhibition by renowned artist and singer Effat Ara Dewan.

Organized by the contemporary art space Shilpangan Gallery, the solo art exhibition, titled ‘Aparajita’, opened at Gallery The Illusions in Lalmatia. The event was formally inaugurated by essayist and Liberation War Museum Trustee Mofidul Hoque, with art critic Professor Moinuddin Khaled attending as the primary speaker.

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|               EXHIBITION PROFILE: 'APARAJITA'               |
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| Artist: Effat Ara Dewan (17th Solo Showcase)                |
| Mediums: Pastels & Charcoal on Paper, Acrylic on Canvas     |
| Total Artworks: 35 | Focus: Floral Aesthetics & Rural Life   |
| Venue: Gallery The Illusions, House 2/6, Block C, Lalmatia  |
| Timeline: May 1 – May 16 | Hours: 3:00 PM – 10:00 PM Daily   |
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While widely celebrated across the nation as an accomplished vocalist, Dewan has maintained a dedicated, decades-long practice in the fine arts. Markedly her 17th solo showcase, this collection relies heavily on soft pastels and charcoal on paper, supplemented by select acrylic works on canvas.

The core thematic anchor remains the multi-faceted beauty of flowers. Dewan captures familiar blooms like the gardenia (gandharaj), butterfly pea (aparajita), and traditional roses alongside a variety of wild, unnamed blossoms. By manipulating their sizes, shapes, and configurations within structural vases, she infuses personal memories into the petals, creating an atmosphere of deep affection. Beyond her signature floral pieces, the 35 artworks on display also feature intimate domestic interior sketches and serene rural landscapes.

‘Care and Injury’: Deconstructing Labor Realities at Jigatola

Breaking away from traditional gallery setups, an exceptional social justice exhibition titled ‘Care and Injury’ is underway at the Kun Creative Studio, located on the second floor of the historic Amin Tannery building in Hazaribagh, Jigatola. Launched intentionally on International Workers’ Day (May 1), the week-long exhibition uses visual media to explicitly highlight the daily experiences, physical occupational hazards, and deep emotional resilience of Bangladesh’s working class.

The exhibition was curated by Imam Mahmood, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Fine Arts and Design at Jagannath University. On the opening day, working-class laborers from various industrial sectors stood alongside standard art enthusiasts to interact with the installations. Mohammad Zahidul Haque, an executive member of Kun Creative, stated that the project was specifically engineered to bridge the elitist divide between traditional high-art galleries and the working class, repositioning fine art as a vital social, ethical, and empathetic “care-practice.”

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The multi-medium showcase features a powerful collection of sculptures, documentary photography, and mixed-media installations. The participating creative group includes:

• Tanveer Imtiaz
• Antu Modak
• Fabia Tamanna
• SM Shah Anisuzzaman
• Shimul Kumbhakar
• Prasenjit Kumar Saha
• Ammar Bin Asad
• Mashroor Mahmood
• Tarek Hasan

The exhibition will conclude this Thursday. It remains open to the general public daily from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

New Horizons: Young Vanguard Group Exhibition in Banani

Concurrently, a collective art exhibition spotlighting the fresh voices of the new generation is drawing crowds to the Satori Gallery, located at House 100, Road 25, Block A in Banani. Also launched on May 1, the event was formally inaugurated by Jagannath University Fine Arts Professor Rashid Amin.

The group showcase serves as a critical launchpad for 10 promising contemporary women artists, each bringing a distinct stylistic approach and experimenting across multiple experimental mediums. The list of participating artists includes:

The exhibition runs until May 8, welcoming art collectors, students, and the public daily between 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM.