Visual artist Shakila Khan Chayan has portrayed Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore and his fictitious women characters in her third solo exhibition titled 鈥楻abirage Kathapakathan鈥� under way at Dhaka Gallery in Banani, Dhaka.
The exhibition, organised to mark the 163rd anniversary of the birth of Rabindranath Tagore, is featuring 66 artworks created with mediums, including acrylic, paper, watercolour and others.
鈥楢fter I graduated, I became busy with my family and also suffered from artist鈥檚 block. I could not find inspiration to paint. As I loved to read Rabindranath Tagore, I turned to his works for inspiration. I decided to create artworks depicting his fictitious women characters, songs, poems, novels, short stories, plays and others in 2016,鈥� said Shakila, who also organised two solo portrait exhibitions in 2022 and 2023.
鈥業 was greatly inspired by the central women characters in Tagore鈥檚 works and I used my face while painting them because I wanted to find myself in Tagore鈥檚 creations,鈥� added Shakila, who is the founder of a women artists鈥� group titled 鈥楰onya鈥�.
She has depicted Tagore鈥檚 women characters Nandini, Binodini, Sohini, Bindu, Mrinmoyee and others, songs, short stories and more.
Her artwork depicting Tagore song titled 鈥楶ran Chay Chokkhu Na Chay鈥� shows the face of a village girl looking towards her left.
The artwork titled 鈥楾umi Robe Nirabey鈥� shows a woman looking towards a bird.
She has displayed a portrait of Rabindranath Tagore under the title 鈥楾umi Ki Kebolei Chhobi鈥�.
The artwork titled 鈥楾umi Kon Kanoner Phul鈥� shows a woman in a green saree leaning on a flower.
The artwork titled 鈥楤inodini鈥� shows a widow in a white saree with a parrot resting on her shoulder.
Shakila studied MFA and BFA at Chittagong University. She organises and curates many group art exhibitions under the banner of Konya.
The seven-day exhibition, which was inaugurated on May 11, will end today.聽
