Art exhibition 'Sampriti' inaugurated at Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre

An art exhibition titled 'Sampriti' was inaugurated on Thursday at the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC) in Dhaka.

The IGCC and the High Commission of India jointly organised the exhibition at IGCC's Gulshan centre, celebrating cultural harmony and artistic collaboration between India and Bangladesh.

IGCC organised the exhibition as a continuation of the “Sampriti” Art Camp held on April 10-11 to mark the 77th Foundation Day of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). Established on 9 April 1950, ICCR has promoted cultural exchange through art, education, literature and academic cooperation for more than seven decades.

The inauguration coincided with the 165th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore. Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma, artists Prof Rafiqun Nabi and Monirul Islam, Prof Farida Zaman and Prof Abdus Sattar opened the programme by lighting lamps in tribute to the poet.

Speaking at the event, Pranay Verma described Tagore as a towering figure in the shared cultural heritage of India and Bangladesh. He said Tagore’s ideals of creativity, humanism and cultural harmony continue to strengthen ties between the two neighbouring countries.

The exhibition features artworks created during the two-day art camp by 33 prominent Bangladeshi contemporary artists and ICCR scholars, including Rafiqun Nabi, Monirul Islam, Abdus Shakoor, Abdus Sattar, Farida Zaman, Ranjit Das, Jamal Ahmed and Naima Haque.

Curator Prof Sanjoy Chakraborty of Dhaka University’s Faculty of Fine Arts said the exhibition reflects the spirit of friendship and mutual understanding through visual arts.

The exhibition will remain open for public viewing from May 8 to 17 at IGCC, Gulshan, Dhaka.

Pranay Verma also paid tribute to artist and ICCR scholar Tarun Ghosh, who died in April. Organisers included one of his artworks in the exhibition to honour his artistic legacy.

Senior artists Rafiqun Nabi and Monirul Islam expressed hope that “Sampriti” would inspire greater artistic exchange between India and Bangladesh and deepen cultural relations further.

The evening also featured Rabindra Sangeet performances by Prof Shahnaz Nasrin Ila of Dhaka University’s Music Department.