The contemporary art scene in Bangladesh has been steadily evolving, and this July, Alliance Française de Dhaka amplified that momentum with the launch of “Aesthete”, a group exhibition that brought together the creative voices of 29 emerging and independent artists. Opening on July 8 at La Galerie and running until July 15, the exhibition was positioned as more than a display of works—it was an exploration of identity, dialogue, and artistic inquiry.
The opening ceremony welcomed an esteemed panel of guests. Eminent artist Rafiqun Nabi, Professor Emeritus at the University of Dhaka, attended as the chief guest, while noted art connoisseur Raquib Mohammad Fakhrul and artist Ranjit Das joined as honorable guests. The event also recognized the support of AKHTAR GROUP, whose sponsorship underscored the importance of private patronage in sustaining and promoting contemporary cultural platforms.
“Aesthete” featured nearly 35 artworks—paintings, drawings, and sculptures—that spanned a wide range of mediums and styles. From realism to abstraction, from expressionism to mixed media, the collection reflected the breadth of contemporary artistic practice in Bangladesh.
The participating artists were Abdullah Al Bashir, Abdus Sattar Toufiq, Al-Akhir Sarker, Anjum Sulaiman, Anukul Chandra Mojumder, Ashfaque Bappy, Biplob Chakroborti, Bishwajit Goswami, K. Zaman Shimul, Kamal Uddin, Kamruzzoha, Kazi Sahid, Lutfa Mahmuda, Md Ziaur Rahman, Monjur Rashid, Muntasir Moin, Naeem Zaman, Nazia Ahmed, Pradyut Kumar Das, Ratnashwar Sutradhwar, Rezaur Rahman, Ruhul Amin Tarek, S. M. Saha Anisuzzaman Faroque, Sourav Chowdhury, Sumon Wahed, Syed Golam Dastagir, and Trivedi Gopal Chandra Gupu.
Each artist brought their own lens of inquiry, shaped by lived experience, cultural memory, and personal reflection. Themes ranged from Bangladesh’s natural environment and folk traditions to its shifting sociopolitical structures and rapidly globalizing present.
The works on display highlighted the diversity of thought within Bangladesh’s younger generation of artists. Abdus Sattar Toufiq’s acrylic on canvas Homage to Labouring People paid tribute to the resilience and struggle of working-class communities. In contrast, Al-Akhir Sarker’s Shamshir depicted two Persian soldiers with traditional swords, a powerful meditation on history and identity.
Bishwajit Goswami’s mixed media sculpture Porichoy reflected on the tension between technology and tradition, capturing how digital dominance reshapes cultural narratives. Nazia Ahmed’s oil on canvas Blissful Solitude explored the complexities of human relationships through delicate visual storytelling, while S. M. Saha Anisuzzaman’s bronze-and-iron sculpture Orchid on Elephant’s Trunk presented natural forms in an almost lyrical balance of strength and fragility.
The curatorial direction emphasized the artists’ independence of thought. “The exhibition focuses on creating dialogues between audience and artists about contemporary issues,” explained Monjur Rashid, one of the organizers. “Through art practice, we wanted to encourage introspection among contemporary artists themselves.”
The exhibition extended beyond visual appreciation into intellectual discourse. A discussion session was held on the Tuesday of the exhibition, featuring Professor Mohammed Eunus and artist-writer Rafi Haque. Their exchange underscored the central theme of Aesthete: art as a dynamic, living conversation rather than a static product.
The participating works were not curated to fit a singular trend or spectacle. Instead, they offered viewers space for reflection and interpretation. Through abstraction, semi-abstraction, and representational modes, the artists invited audiences to rediscover familiar subjects—rivers, folk motifs, urban rhythms, political tensions—through fresh and sometimes challenging perspectives.
What distinguished Aesthete was its ability to weave the past into the present. Many works drew from folk traditions and nature, grounding themselves in Bangladesh’s rural and cultural heritage, while others reflected on modern-day struggles, urban anxieties, and global influences.
This duality—between tradition and modernity, heritage and experimentation—was at the heart of the exhibition. It echoed a larger truth about Bangladeshi art: that it thrives by balancing continuity with innovation. Each artist carried fragments of this narrative, their canvases and sculptures becoming both mirrors of society and windows into imagination.
In today’s cultural landscape, exhibitions of this scale rely on collaboration and support. The involvement of AKHTAR GROUP as a sponsor underscored the importance of corporate engagement in the arts. By investing in initiatives such as Aesthete, sponsors help ensure that emerging artists find platforms to share their voices, reach wider audiences, and sustain their practice.
Ultimately, Aesthete positioned itself not as an endpoint but as part of a continuing dialogue in contemporary Bangladeshi art. For audiences, it was a chance to engage with a new generation of artists unafraid to question, reinterpret, and expand the language of art. For the artists, it was a platform to articulate independent thought and find resonance with viewers.
As visitors moved through the exhibition, they encountered not only paintings and sculptures but also fragments of Bangladesh itself—its rivers and fields, its histories and struggles, its aspirations and uncertainties. More than anything, they were invited to pause, reflect, and converse, discovering meaning not just in the artworks but in their own responses to them.
In the words of one of the participating organizers, the exhibition was never meant to be static. It was meant to flow, evolve, and invite others into its current. Much like Bangladesh itself, Aesthete celebrated resilience, creativity, and the courage to shape new narratives.
