www.preema.net
Paper Reviews
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Volume
7 Issue
22
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May 30,
2008 |
Art
An EmergingArt
Market
Art in
Bangladesh has flourished remarkably over the decades
although the market for Bangladeshi art is nowhere
near those in neighbouring countries. There are signs,
however, that the market for art is ready to take off.
Fayza Haq
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Rafiqun Nab
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There are many more qualified and working artists today than there were three decades back. Many of our artists have had exposure overseas. Artists such as Monirul Islam, Shahabuddin, Shahid Kabir, Wakilur Rahman and R.A. Kajol have settled overseas, winning repute for Bangladesh. More galleries have come up to house the different works of art. If one visits Saju's, Bengal, or Chitrak on average days, one sees potential buyers along with the run-of-the-mill art enthusiasts. More of the local artists are sending their works abroad and foreign artists are coming to show their paintings and sculptures in Dhaka, in exhibitions such as the biennales.
Selling paintings is still a tricky job for many. Noted artist Rafiqun Nabi, speaking about paintings as a commercial commodity says, "Some painters find it easy to sell their work while others don't. It depends on the choice of the buyers. Some artists are apparently in the good books of the buyers. There are some artists who are not so good but they manage to find patrons easily. However, the younger generation, along with some senior painters fail to have frequent exhibitions and don't sell much. In this respect, the well-known artists usually manage to sell easily."
Rafiqun Nabi says that compared to what the situation was 30 years back there are many more collectors; people have more money and more desire for collecting paintings. Today, says Nabi, art works are regarded as assets, as in Europe.
"I myself have not faced too many difficulties, although I've not had much financial gains after paying the gallery. The mental and physical energy, the toil and expense are never all repaid," Nabi comments.
Gautam Chakrabarty, a well-known artist who has been running his own gallery, Kaya, says, "In the last four years there's been a steady market for art pieces. Earlier there were a few people collecting art items in a scattered manner, in their own individual way. At present many people are collecting paintings in a dedicated manner and they have reasons behind this."
Gautam remarks that today's buyers look upon their purchase as an investment, which is a good sign in the art market. Of course, says Gautam, this is nothing compared to the art market in China, India, Latin America, and other emerging nations. Recently, in Kolkata, he says, at an auction, one of M.F. Hussain's paintings, three and a half feet by five feet, was sold for Rs 4 crores. There are many elements related to the rise and fall of demand in the market, such as our economic strength and our orientation, he says.
"Around the year there is considerable activity in the existing galleries,” says Gautam. “Organising exhibitions in Dhaka today doesn't mean just putting up shows: they have intelligent thoughts behind the shows. Now three to four newspapers allot definite pages to art appreciation on a weekly and daily basis. The printed and electronic media make considerable contribution to promoting of visual art through coverage of openings etc. This shows that we are in the process of creating a promising art market," says Gautam.
What we lack are publications, says the artist. There should be numbers of books on artists and movements in Bangladesh such as the ones in the 60s, 70s and 80s. There could have been a book on women artists or the young emerging experimental artists etc., adds Gautam. "Recently there was a book on Mohammed Kibria," he says, "As far as I know there has been just one more book on him published by the Shilpakala Academy. Similarly, there could have been books on so many of the leading artists. Art should be analysed from different angles. This will create awareness overseas about Bangladeshi art."
We should be professional about our dealing with art: This includes the artists, art dealers and other people related to them. We should all benefit from the art market through mutual trust, he says.
The buyers, according to Gautam, are usually businessmen such as bankers and industrialists, as they have the purchasing power. “I believe that our local art enthusiasts are local patrons and not expatriates. In my recent visit to Kolkata, I learnt that a patron asked Hussain to paint 100 paintings each of which cost Rs. one crore. Many people in the art market would gain from this stake."
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Kanak Chanpa Chakma, recounting her own experience in the art market says, "In a small country like ours there is a limitation of galleries and buyers. If people say that my paintings sell even before I hang them in the galleries, I've earned the reputation over years of hard work. I admit that sometimes buyers simply give the subjects and I come up with the necessary canvas or they see half done paintings on the easel and book them up. However, the life of the average Bangladeshi artist is not an easy one." |
Kanak and her husband Mithu, inspired by what they had seen in the US and Europe, ran Gallery Tone for some years. However, they had to give it up as their own paintings suffered, and Kanak needed time for her growing family.
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Nazia Andaleeb Preema, an
established artist who has a gallery of her own, says,
"The galleries are controlling the art market. There
are not enough of them to serve as outlets for the
many artists who qualify every year. To accommodate
the art products there are six main outlets: Bengal,
Drik, Alliance Francaise, Shilpangan,Chitrak and Art
and Soul. The galleries go for those artists who sell
well. New works are not being promoted. We see the
works of the same established artists again and again.
New artists don't know where to display their work." Her own gallery, 'Preema's Atelier' is a non-profit one, where her friends and acquaintances can exhibit. She'll soon be launching "www.Bangladeshart.net" which will help buyers get to know the artists and contact them directly through the website. Today the number of local buyers has gone up as they have more money in their hands as in the case of young executives. |
However, it is the galleries that are controlling the sale, says Andaleeb. People go for what the gallery recommends. Well-known artists sell with ease while good artists, without much exposure find it difficult even to get by and go in for commercial art side-by-side with their freelance paintings, she adds.
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Gautam Chakrabarty
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"People like Murtaja Baseer, Rokeya Sultana, Kanak Chanpa Chakma and Ranjit Das sell well. Some promising artists manage to find buyers too. It is the mid level artists like us who are finding it difficult. Today it is the signature that carries weight. For me, as a gallery owner, business is not difficult. I feel that if half of the paintings of an exhibition are sold, that is good enough. When the economy of the country improves, so does the art market. At the same time, sometimes certain paintings such as oil paintings cannot withstand all weathers and as a consequence foreigners are sometimes hesitant to buy them, "says Andaleeb.
Wajmun Nahar Runty, who is the curator of a new art gallery Shamatat, says that her gallery hopes to promote young artists. Buyers, she says from her experience, usually seek out prominent artists rather than go for any intrinsic quality. Those with limited incomes go for new artists whose works they can afford, says Runty. "I believe that if an artist is really talented and works hard, he can get by with free-lancing," she adds.
Copyright (R) thedailystar.net 2008
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A group-painting by the
artists(Top) and Children take part in an art
workshop(Bottom). |
A group of
twelve artists from Dhaka came together in aid of the
children traumatised by the Cyclone Sidr in Kuakata.
Working for Better Life (WBL), a local organisation
coordinated the art camp with the help of the artists --
Tarun Kumar ghosh, Ranjit Das, Md. Eunus, Kazia
Salauddin Ahmed, Tayeba Begum Lipi, Nazia Andaleeb
Preema, Mahbubur Rahman, Sheikh Ahsan Ullah Mojumder,
Dominiq Gomes, Ronnei Ahmed, Kazi Sayeed Ahmen and Nahid
Niazi Nipu.
The four-day camp was designed to
produce 50-60 artworks, which will be sold to raise
money for the children. A special exhibition and auction
will be organised to sell all the artworks produced at
the camp. All the proceeds from the sales will be used
to support the children under the 'Mamar Bari'
project.
The 'Mamar Bari' project was initiated
by WBL within few days after the cyclone. ActionAid and
UNICEF have also extended substantial support to it.
Preema's Atelier helped WBL in organising this unique
art camp. Around 300 children who have lost their homes
and whose schools are still closed after two months of
the cyclone, come to this 'Mamar Bari' and spend the
whole afternoon reading, playing and participating in
cultural activities. Each child gets a hot meal in the
evening.
The artists felt at home in Kuakata.
They visited the area, observing the damages left behind
by Sidr. This had a strong impact on their paintings.
The artists spent time with the children
everyday through different activities which ranged from
listening to music to art workshops.
Each artist
produced 6-8 artworks. After witnessing the devastation
caused by Sidr first hand, the artists have decided to
donate all proceeds from sales of the artworks.
During the special workshops, children displayed
their enthusiasm through drawings and paintings. What
was interesting to see was the large number of paintings
that were influenced by Sidr and the post-cyclone
activities like distribution of relief and boats being
capsized.
Artworks produced by the artists
highlighted the scenic beauty of Kuakata. The special
exhibition and auction will be organised in Dhaka around
June.
According to Preema, the artist who helped
organise the art camp and also took part in it, the
project is important because, “Sidr was one of the
deadliest natural disasters in the country causing
damage on an unparallel scale. A large number of
children have been directly affected by Sidr. They
really need our encouragement and
support.”
Preema continued, “As an artist I
capture life, I capture things that are between the
lines, which may appear invisible to the normal eye. To
develop that, I try to observe and get involved at the
grassroots level. This approach helped me to move
beneath the surface and connect with the Sidr-affected
children.”
The artist said, “Art has the unique
ability to touch one's soul. It helps to reconnect a
person with his/her identity. When someone produces an
artwork it provides a tremendous level of satisfaction
and adds a renewed level of energy. This helps to
recover from any sense of loss or sorrow.”
“An
artist has the innate ability to see beyond the obvious,
and can reach out and heal along the way,” concluded
Preema.
Exhibition
Penchant for peace
Nazia Andaleeb's Japanese exposure
Fayza Haq
Talking of the new elements that she had included in her recent exhibit at Chuwa Gallery, Japan, Nazia Andaleeb Preema says that she was preparing for it for two years. Knowing the open minds of progressive Japanese viewers, she was confident that her abstract work would find praise and enthusiasm. Except for one, all the 25 paintings were new oil on paper. The items in her 4th solo were smaller in size, to match the local demand.
Andaleeb says, "I intentionally introduced some elements from Bangladesh such as the rickshaw or the feeling of the rain as the freshly washed sensation in 'Monsoon rain'. Another had closed space despite the surrounding gold and bronze and this was to depict her feeling of congestion at the time that she was painting. My work in Japan was a progress from what had been seen in Dhaka: I simply progressed from the stage that I had reached earlier. I was naturally more experimental. My style and themes, working with textures and minimizing my figures was continued.
"There were lines with the spatula to represent recurrent feelings or roughly sketched images such as that of a boat or a man seen in motion. Realistic images were there only to relive the laying on of colours. I had used the contrast of black and white along with warm colours like shades of yellow. The white was there to bring in the Japanese penchant for peace."
Seen at Japan was also "Amar desh" which had splashes of lemon yellow combined with cadmium yellow, bringing in a passage of a boat through mustard fields. Blue, black and gray stood for land that had been spoilt somewhat and which lent contrast to the bright shades. The up and down play of texture work added rhythm. The visible form in vibrant oranges and red was a sinking sail. "Fulfillment" brought in a buoyant splash of white along with a slice of crescent moon, with hints of warm orange. The "Red city" series brought in the claustrophobic feeling of a Dhaka dweller who was overwhelmed with the cement jungles. There were hints of a house, a tall cracked building and other tiny forms in the composition. The bright colours expressed the need for space and understanding in the crowded metropolis with its mushrooming multistoried buildings.
Andaleeb says that the Bangladesh-Japanese exchange programme has been organised by GS Kabir and his wife, Sanaye Watanbe Kabir, for years now in Tokyo. The competition was open to all and she had been selected by a board in Japan. Normally the Bangladeshi painters are exhibited in Japan, while Japanese works are shown in Bangladesh.
Talking of her Japan trip, Andaleeb said "The people there appeared very contented with their life and work," Andaleeb remarks. "I spent a wonderful day with Kamizo, a senior artist, who teaches in Lebanon, and although I could not speak Japanese, sign language was adequate."
Dwelling on the artists who had inspired her of late, the artist says, "For the past few years I've been influenced by the French artist Soulages, and before that I liked the works of Mohammed Kibria and Kazi Giasuddin. I want to absorb the best from others and go in my own individual way, creating a style that will stand out as typically mine."
Pioneering art on the Internet
Harun ur Rashid
In this era of computer enhanced virtual reality, artists are also utilising the World Wide Web to reach the greater audience. There are hundreds of thousands of websites on the Internet that contain works of artists from all over the world. And anyone anywhere can watch these art-works only if he/she has the online facility. Exhibitions--solo and group both--are also often launched on the Internet.
Bangladesh, however, had so far been absent from this strong medium of communication- until young artist Nazia Andaleeb Preema launched her own website recently. Addressed www.preema.net, the site presents the first ever virtual art exhibition in Bangladesh containing 35 art works by Preema.
Professor Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, Vice Chancellor of BRAC University, and eminent artist Abdus Satter, Director of the Fine Arts Department, Dhaka University, jointly inaugurated the exhibition.
The exhibition contains photographs of Preema's art works done in watercolour, oil and pastel. Besides, Preema places some of her experimental digital art works that she has done on computer. 'I am interested in working in all the traditional media as well as the most modern one,' Preema says regarding her digital paintings.
Preema believes that the human mind, the power of imagination for that matter, has no boundaries. 'And the form of the mind is essentially abstract', she says. Preema's experimentation in art works, as a result, started with this abstractness. Most of her works in this virtual gallery are abstract.
Preema's website has four different links to the four different mediums of her works--oil, pastel, watercolour and digital. The link gallery gives an opportunity to view her works as if in a gallery. Besides, there is an e-mail link, which enables the viewers to contact her and send their opinions.
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Culture Wed. November 30, 2005 Nazia Andaleeb Preema Artistic energy unleashed Kavita Charanji |
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It is a recharged artist, Nazia Andaleeb Preema who has returned from a one-and-a- half month sojourn in Delhi. In the picturesque surroundings of the Global Art Village in the Indian capital, she has just completed a residency geared to refine her painting skills and get the creativity flowing through practices such as Yoga and meditation. Says an upbeat Nazia, "The aim of the residency was to generate positive energy, unleash creativity and learn the ropes of community living."
Clearly the time spent in the sylvan surroundings of the Village worked wonders for Nazia's career. In the course of her stay, she did 25 paintings in Delhi. A gallery from Mumbai took all the paintings for a solo exhibition and she brought three back home to Dhaka. Another solo in Mumbai is next on the agenda in December.
The group of 15 artists from different parts of the globe, such as Australia, UK, USA, Poland, Lativia, Serbia Montenegro and Argentina and Bangladesh, also ventured further afield than Delhi---places such as Chandigarh, Fatehpur Sikri, Agra, Golden Temple in Amritsar, Jaipur, Udaipur, Shimla and Kulu-Manali.
"The meditative aspect is reflected in my works," says a reflective Nazia. Along with her counterparts, she would paint in the open air studio amidst the dazzling greenery of neatly manicured lawns. She points to one of her works, Meditational Motifs (oil on canvas). This semi-abstract piece uses Indian motifs and depicts the circle theory of Hindu mythology: basically the concept that we begin life at one point and end at the same point. Thanks to her productive stay in Delhi, says Nazia, she has attained a heady sense of freedom. In her words, " There is more freedom and flexibility in my work now; earlier my works were rigid."
Another spin off of the meditative practices is that she has learnt to work in different environments. "I am in this room far from nature but it won't hamper my creativity because I get inspiration from where I am. So I don't have to be in the midst of nature," says Nazia.
The 31-year-old Nazia, who did her Bachelor of Fine Art and Master of Fine Art from the Institute of Fine Art, Dhaka University, has had an eventful artistic career. Among her recent solo exhibitions are in USA, Tokyo and Dhaka. On the group exhibition front, she has displayed her work in Kolkata, Dhaka, Tokyo, UK, Sri Lanka, while in India her work has attracted viewers in Delhi and Kolkata.
Nazia is receptive to the concept of digital art. Having done computer design for the last nine years, at one point she decided to go in for the increasingly popular new technology of digital art.
Clearly Nazia's career is on the roll. And art lovers can look forward to seeing more works of this talented artist.
Rhapsody in reminiscence
Towheed Feroze
Dwelling in the past is one of her
favourite pastimes and though many want to indulge in
nostalgia, in case of Nazia Andaleeb Preema, her images of the
days gone by find place on the canvas; thus, we can say, these
works are but reflections of some bygone
event.
No, Preema does not present
episodes that have changed the course of history or those that
engineer major changes in society; she involves herself at the
personal level where remembering small events multiply the joy
of introspection.
And better still,
Preema’s passionate leap backwards is not confined within her
own world.
‘I want others to take the
journey with me and as they do I want my semi abstract pieces
to help them re-live their past experiences. To allow that
liberty to all I have chosen not to use any titles for my
work. Untitled might not seem much but it never confines the
meaning of a painting.’
So, Preema’s
world of exotic red, sunshine yellow, pacific blue, charcoal
grey and invigorating green form a huge matrix of emotions and
visions.
Some may look at the green and
think of the village whereas others may look at it and drift
back to childhood.
Similarly, the red may
symbolise passion for some while others may want to relate it
to violence.
‘In my interpretation my
works open up things I have seen and they include Buddhist
monasteries, circus, still life by the side of the Jamuna and
many other scattered scenes and when I look at them they
provide a path to my past.’
Preema has
had quite a few exhibitions in the past and in each one of
them she has shown her desire to experiment. This time has not
been any different and in her pastel works on newspaper the
artist has tried something new.
Perhaps,
through haphazard figures and incoherent figures the artist
wants to present the rather vague impression newspapers have
on us with the variety of their news items? Or perhaps, Preema
just felt like using newspaper as a
canvas.
Whatever the reason, the pieces
prove once more that innovative ideas are always motivating
this artist. The exhibition will run till May 18 at the Art
& Soul Gallery, Rd:36, House:16, Gulshan Avenue.
Nirvana: enlightenment with
a feminine touch
Towheed
Feroze
The exhibition promises works by
women artists from different countries and so, the flavour is
international. And, just like the title, the works do offer
the viewer a chance to experience a re-awakening. But, from a
different perspective, the title may also mean the coming of
age of the works of female artists. Perhaps, the suggestion is
that artwork by women have reached a crescendo. Whatever it
may be, the bottom line is that once a viewer stands in front
of an assortment of works being exhibited at the Alliance
Francaise de Dacca, s/he is literally taken in by variety.
From wood carvings to sculpture to paintings depending heavily
on Fauvism, this show presents all.
It
may be clichéd, but here is an exposition that thrives on
novelty. And, if we carry on in that line, the piece
'Memories' by Ferdousy Priyabhashini stands out with its
incredible potency. A battered window surrounded by bricks,
this is a work that captures memories of the past the way they
usually come back to us - rusty yet
powerful.
The whole work has an aged look
about it but then memories are seldom
fresh.
It takes a lot of aesthetic
wrangling to get into the meaning of sculptures but Ivy
Zaman's 'Dream' does not challenge the imaginative compartment
of the common viewer. Indeed, unlike most installations, this
is a work that does not conceal its meaning within an
impenetrable piece.
Influenced heavily by
Fauvism, Nazlee Laila Mansur's work, 'Flower Boy' has a lot of
colour but the piece also carries an undertone of sarcasm. It
appears that, somewhere, the artist is trying to mock
something. Is she referring to the free mixing of society
carefully coated with vacuous morals and a thin veneer of
Puritanism? Maybe, but there is no denying that this work
sends a disturbing feeling. Nevertheless, the attraction is
overwhelming. Nazia Andaleeb Preema's piece, Staring Women is
a work that relies heavily on mystery and with a lot of black,
has captured a Hitchcock style intrigue. The Teahouse Blues by
Australian artist Kate Faulds is a work worth mentioning and
here, the artist uses a dreamy shade of blue. Extremely
therapeutic, one has to contend.
A
remarkable exhibition, this should not be missed at any cost.
  Nazia Andaleeb Preema: Discovering the artistic verve TOWHEED FEROZE |
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The idea is simple – let nature wash
away the oxidised soul and rejuvenate the artistic impulse so
that a work is created. Now, that does not sound too novel but
if one is just satisfied with a superficial notion of the idea
then, the inner meaning will never be found. And what might
that be? Well, first of all, how about a process that would
summarily eradicate all the negativity that this urban ennui
has layered upon us over time? And, to top of it off, there is
the facility for meditation – yes you need to do some soul
searching and finally, we have the cultural interaction that
advocates healthy competition. Refreshingly, the whole focus
is aimed at making us humans wanting to live rather than spend
away hours indulging in brooding thoughts of what could have
been.
Well, we have been talking about
the Global arts village and the artistic residence that was
arranged from November 11 – November 12 2005 in New
Delhi.
Nazia Andaleeb Preema, a young but
unquestionably promising artist from Bangladesh was there
along with artists from other countries; after coming back,
Preema is far more relaxed, her works more analytical, deeper
and, what about her views? ‘Well, this workshop has taught me
to harness the spiritual side of me,’ she comments and a look
at her work will reveal that the artist’s psyche has undergone
some marked changes. The one and a half month programme that
invited people from other countries was aimed at forming a
positive vibe among the artists so that they would work and at
the same time exchange their views at an artistic and more
importantly, at a human level. The latter part is significant
as most artists now seem to be treating aesthetics as way to
make money, and only money. ‘I chose to mingle with nature and
work outside; the whole atmosphere was one that seemed to
motivate me to work and with this inner force I painted, often
vigorously,’ observes Preema and adds, ‘and the most
interesting thing is that this energy has come to become a
mainstay in my works.’ So how has the energy manifested on the
canvas? ‘First of all, there is the spiritual element that is
present. While involved in the workshop we were given regular
meditation classes and were taught yoga. Obviously, this
de-stressing formula inspired us to adopt a spiritual
perspective and our works became less
hurried.’
Preema, during her stay in
India travelled extensively with the group and this gave her
the chance to soak in a variety of social settings. History
became a dominating factor and along with that came the
undeniable influence of mythology. ‘Just imagine all these
items blending into one tremendous driving force and then you
will understand what kind of experience we had,’ observes an
ecstatic Preema.
But has this experience
been beneficial for Preema’s artistic career only? ‘No I would
like to think that this has made me a person with a winner’s
attitude, and now I believe in living rather than just
existing.’ Well, perhaps artists in our country should start
incorporating yoga in their routines. For information:
www.globalart.com and for Preema’s resurrected artistic
impulses: www.preema.net
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Nazia Preema
Nazia Andaleeb Preema has attended a number of workshops and residency programs in visual arts all over the world. She has participated in over fifty prestigious group exhibitions and has had eight successful solo expositions of her work at home and abroad, including the first ever virtual exhibition in Bangladesh. Her thoughts and works receive widespread appreciation from the art critics and art lovers all over. She blended her creativity with professionalism to shape her career as a consultant in the areas of web, graphic, and electronic art. She intends to introduce her ideas, concepts, and techniques to add new dimensions to visual communication. Gender inequality and exploitation of women in society has provoked Nazia to launch her own television talk show which is particularly designed to inspire women towards independence and self advancement. Nazia has a masters’ degree in fine arts from the Fine Arts Institute, University of Dhaka. She is an adjunct faculty of the department of architecture, North South University, Dhaka. She is now engaged in experimentation of digital media and traditional techniques.
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