Abstraction: Silent dialogues in color

Gong…gong…gong — three resonant bells signaled the opening of the exhibition, inviting everyone to enter the space. Despite the crowd, the room, with its pristine white walls, was enveloped in a unique kind of silence.

It was only art that brought the environment to life. The first walk through the gallery was not enough to understand the depth of what was on display.

It was only in the third round that I stopped, struck by a silent ‘oh’. Abstract art, something I hadn’t delved into before, offered me a new perspective that lasted long after I left the exhibition.
Abstraction is an art form that invites you to interpret it based on your perspective, which is fascinating because it helps you understand yourself better.

Just like children who fearlessly draw whatever they want, without following any rules, abstract artists transform their vision into a story told through shapes, colors and shapes that seem to appear out of nowhere.

The group exhibition at Galleri Kaya, featuring 26 modern and contemporary artists, features 54 diverse works, all linked by the central theme of ‘abstraction’, expressed through diverse art forms.

“Galleri Kaya showcases works by senior and junior artists, allowing viewers to explore their artistic journeys,” said Goutam Chakraborty, founder of Galleri Kaya.

And it’s true, as the exhibition features works by senior artists such as Safiuddin Ahmed, Mohammad Kibria and Aminul Islam, alongside works by much younger artists such as Maksuda Iqbal Nipa and Mohammad Tokon.

“This exhibition aims to inspire emerging artists and provide them with guidance in their creative endeavors,” Goutam added.

‘Harmony on Earth’ by Samarjit Roy Choudhury (1937–2022) is an acrylic piece on canvas, with blue as the predominant color, symbolizing peace. The artwork features all the major places of worship lined up, conveying a simple yet powerful vision of how the artist imagines a harmonious world.

‘Red and Brown’ by Rafi Haque, an intriguing oil on paper piece, invites deeper exploration. At first glance, it looks like an old treasure map, with symbols and numbers scattered around. The more you look at it, the stronger the desire becomes to discover its secrets and find out where the map leads.

“When we travel by car, we experience the environment around us in one way; but when we are in a train, the view changes as it speeds past us. Similarly, when I had the opportunity to fly over Sylhet in a helicopter, I saw the area with new eyes. The same landscape that appears from the ground changes completely when seen from above,” Goutam explained, relating this to how he perceives abstract art.

The abstraction opened on October 11th and runs until October 26th. Galleri Kaya also has exciting new exhibitions scheduled for the coming months.

TBS Picks

The family victim of the floods by Abu Taher
Medium: Oil on canvas

A hauntingly beautiful work of art that powerfully evokes the profound loss families experience during floods. The representation of the victim’s family is larger than the surrounding scene, symbolizing the idea that unity and togetherness can overcome any problem.

Harmony on Earth by Samarjit Roy Choudhury
Medium: Acrylic on canvas

The main places of worship lined up in a line show that only we can achieve harmony in this world through unity and acceptance of each other. This beautiful work of art gives a sense of hope when looking at it.

Partition-2 by Ratan Mojumder
Medium: Woodblock Print
The use of black and white in this work is ironic, as the artist conveys the message that not everything is simply black and white. There is depth in everything we see, but we often only perceive the surface with the naked eye.