Laisul Hoque’s ode to flavours of his past

A mixture of the bundia and jhuri seems to be quite the odd pairing. But for artist Laisul Hoque who has a Masters in Arts in Contemporary Photography; Practices and Philosophies from Central Saint Martins, the mixture of the sweet and savoury flavours pulls him back to memories of his father, where he took him to a village market, asking him if he'd like to try his favourite childhood snack. 

These memories became the subject of Laisul's art instalment, 'An Ode to All the Flavours, ' which won him the 2025 East London Art Prize. 

The East London Art Prize is a biannual competition that champions the talent and diverse creativity in East London's vibrant art scene. Out of almost 900 submissions, Laisul's piece won first place. This achievement provides resources to uplift Laisul's career in art, including a £15,000 grand prize and the opportunity to conduct a solo exhibition next year. 

However, Artist Laisul's experience winning the East London Art Prize gives way to a new conversation of an interconnected Bangladeshi community and the future of Bangladeshi artists. 

The story of art

The interactive piece displayed in the Nunnery Gallery alongside the rest of the shortlisted participants consisted of a stand displaying his father's favourite childhood snack. Visitors were allowed to taste the complex flavours of Laisul's memory.

"Throughout my entire upbringing, my relationship with my father has been slightly complicated. There has always been an inherent hegemonic masculinity, lack of emotion and connection among men in terms of expressing emotions," shared Laisul.

So when Laisul's father shared a piece of his childhood memory and expressed his love with this gesture, it became a poignant moment that the artist would reflect on to this day.

The snack itself was unconventional, and in a way, it broke the rules, combining two snacks that are never really served together. As Laisul reflects on his childhood, the irony of this is not lost on him. 

"Throughout my entire upbringing, I've always been told to stay away from norms and tradition, to abide by culture and society. The person I heard it from the most was my father. Yet, his favourite childhood snack was something unconventional," shared Laisul. 

While sharing a part of himself through his art, the narrative of his piece also extends to the external space, becoming a commentary on what dictates reality. 

A piece that gives back

Laisul's memory materialises through his art and becomes a tangible piece he can share with others. As he shares an experience that only he went through with others, it becomes a shared experience, transforming the memory into a reality. 

This transformation also reflects how our daily life works, as leaders and figures of influence convince people of ideologies, making them into tangible realities. Laisul shared how he wanted to critique and understand. 

Furthermore, the piece also focuses on empowering the Bangladeshi community in London while connecting locals with Bangladeshi culture. 

The bundia and jhuri served through the art installation are sourced through the catering company, Oitij-jo Kitchen. The catering company is a women-led initiative that employs Bangladeshi women living in Tower Hamlets. Oitij-jo Kitchen aims to empower women working there through fair living wages, certified training, and building their confidence.

"They work with the whole idea that many Bangladeshi women get married off at a young age in Bangladesh, in the hopes of coming to London and having a better life," commented Laisul. 

He continues, "But when they get married off, they end up in spaces entrenched in the patriarchal system. They end up existing in a country where they neither speak English nor have the autonomy or the experience of navigating the outside world."

The interaction between Oitij-jo Kitchen and Nunnery Gallery is part of Laisul's cause and his piece. As more people interact with the piece and sample the food, it leads to more business for Oitij-jo Kitchen, which goes towards empowering women in business. In turn, the gallery becomes a retainer client of the organisation.

Additionally, for the longest time, the Bangladeshi community has remained distant from gallery spaces, much of which is due to a capitalist mindset that has kept them focused on productivity and work. Laisul's piece works to tackle this as well. 

"To deliver the food, restock, and maintain the work, members of Oitij-jo kitchen have to walk into the gallery space and interact with the gallery staff. I hope this will have a ripple effect as they talk about how galleries work with their friends and families," added Laisul. 

Uplifting his career

Though the prize is a great honour for the artist, his work is far from done. 

The competition prize uplifts the winning artist and sets them on a path to success. In addition to the prize money and solo exhibition, the winner's art for the exhibition will be fully funded, along with legal support and funds for skill development or collaborations.

In other words, Laisul will live as a full-time artist till his next exhibition.

"The way I've always functioned as an artist is that I'd have a part-time job, and when I was free, I was a practicing artist. Right now, I'm in the position where I can quit my job and fully work as an artist until January," said Laisul 

What he says next opens up a can of worms for Bangladesh's art scene.

"This is the kind of incubation artists need. The international support system is backed up by the government and institutions. Whereas there's not much like that in Bangladesh," he shares. 

While organisations that support artists do exist, there are few and far between to help emerging artists. 

Bangladeshi artists, whether established or emerging, have become recipients of esteemed prizes and are featured in leading publications. However, the lack of nurture that comes from local organisations and the government has only worked against emerging artists who are still struggling to make a name for themselves.

While acknowledging the shortcomings of Bangladesh's art space, the artist also calls on the industry to take action in the hopes of creating a space where emerging artists can thrive through their craft.