A two-day group art exhibition featuring works inspired by poet Jibanananda Das' depiction of nature concluded in Dhaka on Sunday evening. The show, showcasing paintings by 28 artists, was held at the Land Gallery in Lalmatia.
The exhibition was inaugurated on Saturday by eminent artist Shahid Kabir. Artist Abdul Mannan, artist Dr Kazi Mozammel Hossain were presented as Chief guests, and Moinuddin Khaled and Shamsul Alam Azad were also presented as special guests at the opening ceremony.
The paintings—created in watercolour, acrylic, and mixed media—portrayed various elements found in Jibanananda's poetry and nature imagery. Motifs such as the Dhanshiri river, the 'chalta flower', 'bhorer doyel pakhi', owls, ducks, dinghy boats, and verses from his poems featured prominently across the works. A total of 33 paintings by 28 artists were displayed.
Artist Abdul Mannan, one of the participants, said Jibanananda's poems capture the timeless beauty of rural Bengal. "That eternal landscape is what we tried to portray in this exhibition," he added.
Several artists painted their own interpretations of the Dhanshiri river. Artist Tapas Karmakar noted, "The poet wrote, 'I will come back again to the Dhanshiri's bank.' That longing moved me to depict this river."
The exhibition was organised by Charukola Barishal. Its coordinator, Sushanta Ghosh, said the show will later travel to Barishal. "Seventy-one years after the poet's passing, this exhibition stands as our tribute to him," he said.
In his inaugural speech, artist Shahid Kabir said, "The nature that Jibanananda brought to life through his poems has been reimagined here by painters in their own colours and forms. This is our homage to the poet." He added ' No destructive force can dimilish the creative spirit of Bengal"
Another chief guest, artist Kazi Mozammel Hossain, said the exhibition not only expresses the artists' admiration for Jibanananda Das but also brings forth the everlasting beauty of Bengal's nature on canvas.
Eminent artist Chinmaye Sikder said artists paid their respects to Jibanananda Das.