Omor Ekushey exhibition: When a poster speaks a thousand words

In a fluorescent hallway of Alliance Française de Dhaka, the yellow ochre walls display posters made by young calligraphers, each piece executed with perfect strokes and clean lines.

With the theme of International Mother Language Day, the exhibition captured the power of language through vibrant designs and detailed calligraphy. 

The exhibition, 'Omor Ekushey' presents the work of 21 participants from a three-month workshop led by artist and illustrator Sabyasachi Hazra, training individuals in typography and calligraphy while exploring Bangla's artistic traditions. 

In the workshop, the students studied the evolution of scripts such as Bangla, Ranjana, Devanagari, Tibetan, Arabic, and English, observing their influence on modern art forms like digital illustration, poster design, and book covers. 

They also engaged with the instructor's past works, drawing connections between traditional and contemporary design. 

"We wanted to ensure that our culture was reflected in the design, calligraphy, and typography so that we could also understand how the letters we write took their shape and the history behind them," shared Hazra. 

He continued, "I incorporated more aspects of our language beyond just drawing letters. This approach kept the students engaged, and when the final works were presented, they actively shared feedback on each other's pieces to refine them further."

The posters transcended mere language. One of the pieces displayed the students' thumbprints, a mark of agreement in earlier times, as part of their designs. The works also incorporated Arabic script as well as showing how Bangla letters were originally written.

The exhibition of posters is open to all till 28 February at Alliance Française de Dhaka's Dhanmondi branch.