Rumky’s solo ‘Self and Others’ underway at AFD

The solo exhibition titled ‘Self & Others’ by Hasura Akther Rumky has begun at La Galerie, Alliance Française de Dhaka, Dhanmondi in the capital.

In presence of eminent artist Shahabuddin Ahmed and actor and cultural activist Shomi Kaiser the inaugural ceremony of the exhibition was held on Friday.

People are the main subject of Hasura Akther Rumky’s paintings. The characteristic of her anthropomorphic paintings can be understood in the light of the adage of Da Vinci, “A man’s face is the window to his/her soul”. Skilled in pastel, acrylic, charcoal, and other mediums, Rumky did not draw superficially familiar subjects; rather, she has wanted to touch beyond form, the invisible world. And in the painting there lies illusion and longing for human connection. In her works based on ‘Rickshaw and Rickshaw Puller’, the dialectical formula that we find in the bond or conflicting presentation of blackness and colour, ultimately reveals the essence of life. The viewer’s mind is enlightened with this sense that life is moving on, not disturbed by sadness. In her work, the expression of the couplet of mother and child, the fluttering of pigeons’ wings, is only the embodiment of joy and sound. The mystery of beauty is infinite. The artist is haunted by the cloistered form of ‘I’ and the people around her, especially; Rumky has looked at the rickshaws and rickshaw-pullers of Dhaka with deep compassion.

Hasura Akther Rumky completed both her BFA (Honours) with MFA from the Department of Oriental Art, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka. The artist has so far participated in a number of group art exhibitions, workshops, art camps, projects and residencies held both at home and abroad. She has received several awards including, Grand Award, ‘Bangabandhu International Art Exhibition’, KAHAL Art Gallery, Japan in 2021, Honourable Mention Award, at the 6th Oriental Painting Exhibition organized by OPSG in 2016.

The exhibition will be open to all every Monday to Saturday from 3 pm to 9 pm, till February 1.