The setting is devoted to water, rather like the mysterious, shifting world in the fluidity of a dream. Light and shadows, texture and colors -- the painting is made up of freehanded yet bold brushstrokes, dominated by large expanses of different shades of blue with a pop of burnt orange hues at the bottom. The expressionist colour scheme builds the ocean, layer upon layer, with the composition of flat figures and overlapping planes of water.
The next artwork is a 3D metal wire sculpture, titled “How to Disappear.” The piece showcases a butterfly caged from getting to the daffodil: The representation of rebirth. There is a consequential contrast between the lonely cylindrical cage and the dynamic movement of the growing flower. Symbolizing the differences in varying circumstances, the sculpture severs the butterfly from its freedom. A true representation of khachar bhitor, the sculpture represents the journey of rebirth that awaits.
Gliding my eyes through the entire hallway of intriguing artworks in the IBDP Performing & Visual Arts Exhibition organized by International School Dhaka (ISD), the next piece that seizes my attention immediately is called “Reprint,” comprising four frames. The frames depict the same figure, but, as I stand for a closer inspection, each figure harbours different expressions and personalities. The use of varying complementary colour palettes, flecks and outlines of darker shades, and contrasting hues tell the story of divergent women. The final panel replaces the figure with a mirror, confronting female viewers with their place within the manufactured pattern.
The artworks require pause -- a moment for the viewers with the pieces to ponder interpretations. Similar to what Jerzy Kosinski, a Polish-American novelist, had once famously said: “The principle of true art is not to portray, but to evoke,” each artwork is thought-provoking and captivating.
Generally speaking, visual arts have evolved as different periods witnessed the emergence of different art movements. For the most part, when we hear the term “visual arts,” we usually think about legendary painters and sculptors like Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, and Auguste Rodin.
However, the term encompasses a broad spectrum of mediums, including painting, sculpture, photography, and many more. Performance and conceptual arts, on the other hand, are not largely defined as visual arts, but they certainly incorporate qualities of visual arts. Rather than static objects, performance arts are in motion, often representing the concept of creation and experiences. The motives and intentions of the artists depend and fluctuate within each art form.
For example, a potter or a weaver may create a highly functional work that is at the same time beautiful, like a flower vase or blanket. They may also create art pieces that have no purpose beyond being admired and valued. Despite the medium and form, whether traditional or newly emergent, art continues to be discovered and reimagined by artists.
Art is life itself. It is a vital component of the human experience reflecting the world and the time in which we live. Art can help us understand our history, culture, emotions, and the experience of others in a manner that cannot be achieved by any other means. For many, it can also be a source of inspiration, reflection, and bliss.
In other words, art is a testament to the power of human beings’ connection with each other and their heritage. Besides, in today’s world, creating art fosters creativity, originality, and imagination, which are all significant for innovation, societal advantages, and scientific discoveries.
At the same time, art plays an essential role in the lives of artists, painters, and creators. Artists tend to channel their inexplicable, complex emotions into their pieces and communicate them with the world through exhibitions. Exhibitions act as the catalyst of art and ideas to the public, representing a way of displaying and contextualizing art that makes it relevant and accessible to contemporary audiences.
Audiences tend to be more content when looking at art from the standpoint of appreciation and gratification while building individual interpretations and meanings. Following this philosophy in heart, the IBDP Exhibition by ISD brought forth the spirit and quintessence of visual arts in a never-seen manner. Gripping with art pieces of several mediums, as viewers, this is what we crave -- a humane experience.
Unequivocally, art is uniquely positioned to inspire and empower people, inciting new questions and provoking curiosity, exhilaration, and outrage. It can take a culture from where they are from and then transport and integrate them into different parts of the world without losing their identity.
Whether it is an abstract oil painting on canvas, a provocative wire sculpture, or a digital mixed-medium piece, art has the power to influence society by instilling values, inducing opinions, and translating experiences across space and time.
Simply put, art lives around us; it is everywhere all at once -- in the literature we read, the architecture we admire, cinema we watch, and much, much more.
Nuzhat Hayat Khan is a communications professional.
