Visual artist Sabia Nasrin portrayed the life of rural women, society and culture in drawings and paintings of clay dolls in her solo exhibition titled ‘Putulbela’ at Gallery Illusions in Lalmatia, Dhaka.
Her first solo exhibition, held from Friday to Tuesday, was jointly curated by Md Ziaul Hoque Raju and Aroni Chatterjee.
The exhibition, organised by Tanmatra artist group, displayed 68 acrylic-on-canvas and paper artworks.
Sabia Nasrin said that she was inspired by her own childhood memories to create the artworks.
‘The women of the villages-who adorn life with modest ornaments, weave dreams, and endure struggles-appear here as luminous, timeless figures. In their gestures, gazes, ornaments, and expressions, we find traces of profound beauty and simplicity,’ said Sabia Nasrin, adding that through this exhibition she attempts to reawaken that forgotten purity.
A mixed media painting titled ‘Prakriti’ shows a village girl taking care of a bird in her colorful flower garden, which reflects the relationship between humans and nature.
Another mixed media painting titled ‘Nacher Mudra’ shows a woman practising classical dance wearing traditional dress, makeup and ornaments.
Her mixed media painting titled ‘Sokhi 3’ portrays the lives of women belonging to national minority communities who live in hilly areas of Bangladesh.
An artwork titled ‘Sadhana’ portrays SM Sultan teaching children painting.
Besides drawings and paintings, the exhibition also displayed dolls created from used cloth and ceramic mugs painted by Sabia Nasrin.
Sabia Nasrin completed her BFA in drawing and painting in 2015 and MFA in painting in 2018 from the University of Development Alternative.
She has participated in many national and international exhibitions and art camps, including National Art Exhibition, International Watercolor Biennale, Kibria Print Fair, Kahal Art Fair and ART 29.