All my life, I have lived in Dhaka city. A city in constant motion, a city where more than 22 million people survive some of the world’s worst traffic jams, regular political violence, constant dearth of basic amenities and the side effects of indiscriminate construction. But just like any other old city, it is a place that holds a rich history and heritage.  History that I became familiar with as a kid, due to the frequent visits to exhibitions in well-known and lesser-known art galleries that depicted the beauty of the city, it’s long-lost heritage and history in beautiful, extraordinary paintings by local artists.

 

My father being an art enthusiast has always encouraged me in taking an interest in art. My first visit to an art gallery was when I was only three years old, and my father tried to keep me from getting bored by making up fantastical stories about each painting. Seeing real paintings face to face, made this world exciting and new. Even at an age when it would be quite difficult to comprehend things like technique, style or media.

 

I always loved playing with colours, making my own ‘abstracts’ in the countless number of drawing books that my father supplied. At age five, I painted a picture of two girls sitting what seemed like the edge of a green hill, one with red hair the other with black hair watching the expanse of the limitless sky and the glow of a full moon. I call this painting ‘friendship’ and it encompasses my view of the world where friendships can overcome differences in race and culture, especially through art, music and storytelling. 

 

Through the frequent visits to exhibitions, art galleries trips to hidden cities, concerts and fashion shows, I learnt about muslin, a natural fiber and an indigenous fabric of Bengal that was a valuable product of trade by merchants in the hub of Sonargaon (one of the oldest capitals of the historic region of Bengal), it’s origin in the part of Bengal that is present day Bangladesh. Through my research, I went down a rabbit hole I didn’t want to come out of as I came across another indigenous product called indigo –  a natural dye also produced in Bangladesh. Both these products have a dark colonial history of the exploitative practices and cruelty inflicted on the actual producers of the coveted products, the local farmers and artisans at the hands of the British colonizers. 

 

I was particularly fascinated by indigo - because it is a natural dye derived from a plant and is made through an arduous process that requires the highest level of craftsmanship skill and patience. It is a mysterious colour and natural indigo has a mind of its own – you can never predict how it will actually be absorbed in the fabric and which particular hue will dominate. My interest in this project stemmed from my trip to Rangpur in the deep north of the country, which is the only district in Bangladesh that actually produces natural indigo in present times.

 

Upon my visit, the farmers and artisans I met completely changed my perspective on life. Their hard work, dedication and passion in producing and making this dye despite it’s dark past made me fall in love with the work even more. These are the real heroes who are trying to revive natural indigo and make it a viable product that will again catch the world’s eye but this time by recognizing those who are behind its production. This revival is a way of reclaiming heritage by reversing the exploitative practices of the past and truly celebrating the skills and labour of the artisans and tenacity of the entrepreneurs involved in this movement. This is what I have tried to capture in my multimedia exhibition held on 16th September 2022. The future goal of this project is to highlight this ancient tradition so it does not disappear, raise awareness and empower small scale artisan communities. 

 

My genre is experimental with an inclination towards multiculturalism, female identity, fantasy, magical realism, mystery, as well as conveying social messages of the times such as racial inequality, moral policing, discrimination against women, and marginalization of communities. I like to use all kinds of creative media such as painting, film, photography, digital art, technology, music, fashion designing and writing. Through my work, I want to investigate unexplored topics surrounding politics of fashion, multiculturalism, and colonial history. In the future, I hope, through various media, I am able to tell those untold stories.