Alliance Française de Dhaka inaugurated the solo painting exhibition Hawabibi In this City by Dhaka-based visual artist Shaily Shrabonti on Monday, August 25 2025, at La Galerie, Dhanmondi. The exhibition will remain open to the public until September 3, with visiting hours from 3 PM to 9 PM, Monday through Saturday.
This exhibition introduces Hawabibi, a mythical figure who silently roams the cityscape, observing the cultural, social, and symbolic forces that shape the lives of women. Through 45–47 mixed-media works, Shrabonti employs a combination of traditional Oriental art techniques and contemporary materials—including watercolor washes, acrylic, pen, clay, and locally sourced elements—to explore the complex systems of control, both ancient and modern, that have historically confined women’s agency.
Hawabibi becomes a lens through which viewers can witness how myth, memory, and urban life intertwine in women’s experiences. The exhibition invites reflection on the subtle forms of resistance embedded in daily life, emphasizing the ongoing pursuit of freedom, identity, and voice within a world still influenced by patriarchal structures.
Shaily Shrabonti is a Dhaka-based visual artist who completed her BFA and MFA in Oriental Art from the Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka. Her work merges contemporary oriental techniques with mythological narratives to explore women’s layered experiences. Through symbolic and nuanced visual language, Shrabonti examines struggles, resilience, and transformation, reclaiming stories historically told for women. Her art challenges silence and encourages new perspectives on women’s presence in cultural history.
