Musrat Reazi shows the lifestyle and culture of settlers on Chittagong hill tracks through her newest artworks. Recently in a solo exhibition “Searching Existence,” she brilliantly projected the Chakma, Marma and the Moorang community. Her pieces are done in vibrant colours and are an open expression of her approval of the simple life and cultural diversity of the ethnic groups.
The canvases interpret the myth of “Radhamon-Dhanpoti,” popular story in Chakma language, which is represented in ethnic alphabetical forms. Musrat claims that the language is also a part of Bangladesh and it is becoming extinct. The Moorang community’s festivals and culture is embraced on canvas with bright colours, as their traditions flourish with brightness including their clothing and religion. Her artworks on Marma women explain the changing phase from traditional to modernity, in terms of keeping pace with the trend. The semi-abstract artworks have the touch of contemporary perception and the artist states that: “My recent work caters to present the lightening existence of these ethnic communities in our nation. This is a small step on that effort.”
“The three hill districts Khagrachari, Rangamati and Bandarban are quite spectacular in terms of their characteristics. Their food habits, clothes, language, religion and surroundings are different from others. I am highly impressed by their simplicity of life, variation of culture and the natural abundant beauty of CHT.”
“As I have been residing in the indigenous community for a long time, I tried to portray my experiences and observations in my recent works,” added Reazi.
