Bangladeshi artist exhibits at Ashmolean Museum
Soma Surovi Jannat has become the first Bangladesh-based artist to stage a solo exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum—the UK's oldest public museum and the University of Oxford's pre-eminent centre for art and archaeology.
Titled "Soma Surovi Jannat: Climate Culture Care", the exhibition opened on 28 March as part of the Ashmolean NOW series, which invites contemporary artists to create new work inspired by the museum's historical collections.
Developed following Jannat's 2023 residency at the Ashmolean, the exhibition features paintings and drawings exploring the links between natural disasters and social inequality. Drawing inspiration from the Sundarbans and the Ashmolean's collections, her work reflects on environmental challenges, the interconnectedness of nature and humanity, and collective responsibility for the environment.
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Curated by Professor Mallica Kumbera Landrus, Keeper of Eastern Art and Curator of South Asian Art at the Ashmolean, the show comprises around 40 works—including works on paper, a 30-foot scroll, and an ephemeral wall drawing to be completed by the artist in situ. Landrus has also authored a 112-page illustrated catalogue for the exhibition.
Maarya Rehman, Deputy Director Bangladesh at the British Council, said: "At the British Council, we support artists and cultural professionals worldwide to pursue their ambitions and realise their potential. Soma Surovi Jannat's UK debut—and the first solo show by a Bangladesh-based artist in a UK museum—is a significant milestone for us."
Xa Sturgis, Director of the Ashmolean Museum, said: "We hope this exhibition—unique in its scope and approach—will spark discussion about Bangladesh and its contemporary art as we celebrate the country's 55th anniversary this year."
"Climate Culture Care" was produced in partnership with Seher and Taimur Hassan, the British Council, Samdani Art Foundation, Sotheby's, Neha and Sumedh Jaiswal (via Goldman Sachs Gives), Gallery Espace (New Delhi), and the Charles Wallace Bangladesh Trust.
