Artist Shilpi Ali has attempted to portray the strength, resilience and endurance of women as they struggle against social pressures and oppression in her first solo exhibition titled The Unravelled Soul under way at the Aloki Executive Hall at Tejgaon in Dhaka.
The 2-day exhibition, inaugurated by Dhaka University drawing and painting department emeritus professor Rafiqun Nabi on Friday, is featuring 43 acrylic and mixed media paintings with bright colours on canvas.
The inaugural ceremony began with a poetry recitation by the artist鈥檚 mother. Gallery Chitrak鈥檚 executive director Md Moniruzzaman and artist-fashion designer Kuhu Plamondon, among others, were present at the ceremony.
鈥楽elf-taught artist Shilpi Ali uses very bright colours, reflecting the dreams of women, but her characters are sad in expressions,鈥� said Rafiqun Nabi.聽
The artist has depicted the relation between women and nature, womanhood and the struggle of women as a mother in her displayed artworks.
鈥業 have been interested in painting since my childhood but I had not got the opportunity to study fine arts due to the ups and downs of life,鈥� said Shilpi Ali, adding that during the Covid crisis, she started to explore paintings.
She also mentioned that women were born with pain inbuilt. 鈥榃omen learn to suffer from a young age, both physically and mentally, through hardships and sacrifice,鈥�
Among the artworks, her mixed media painting titled Motherhood shows a woman breastfeeding her child in a green forest.
In the acrylic painting titled Courage-2, she has painted a woman and a tiger to portray woman resilience and inner strength.
A very recent artwork titled 36th July depicts the spirit of youth who have fought against the discrimination in the country.
Studied and grew up in London, Shilpi Ali is also a writer. Her literary works include My Cold Tears and Reconciliation.
