Tracing strength and transformation at Resilient Becoming
A contemplative exhibition that favours process over spectacle, ‘Resilient Becoming’ gathers works by contemporary and master artists to explore memory, transition and the quiet persistence of art across time
On 28 November, Bhumi Gallery's Uttara Centrepoint space held a quiet, focused stillness, as if the exhibition had grown naturally into the room rather than been arranged there. Moving through the space, visitors could sense a wordless dialogue among the artworks, stirring awareness.
The gallery opened 'Resilient Becoming', a showcase of works spanning multiple mediums and artistic approaches, unified more by mood and intention than by aesthetic similarity. The exhibition remains open until 13 December.
Paintings, mixed-media pieces and sculptural works appear in dialogue with one another, addressing themes of transition, uncertainty and persistence with restraint rather than drama. There is no insistence on spectacle here. The works ask for time, not applause.
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Several artists turn to abstraction, layering pigment, texture and line in ways that suggest erosion, memory and repair. Shades of earth, ash, rust and muted blues recur, creating a visual rhythm that feels both deliberate and introspective.
Elsewhere, figurative references emerge: faces partially obscured, human forms fragmented or suspended, suggesting identities that fluctuate rather than remain fixed in narrative moments.
One added delight offered by Bhumi was the paintings of revered artists, like SM Sultan, Qayyum Chowdhury, Abu Taher, Abdur Razzak, Zainul Abedin and Qamrul Hasan. The viewers had the luck of feasting their eyes on some of their masterpieces.
Many works resist closure, holding tension instead of resolving it. This sense of incompletion feels intentional, mirroring the realities the artists seem to respond to, personal, social, and environmental. The exhibition does not attempt to summarise these.
The physical arrangement of the gallery enhances this experience. The spacing between works allows each piece to exist independently while remaining part of a larger conversation. Lighting is understated, avoiding theatrical contrast and instead maintaining a steady visual tone throughout the space. Visitors are able to linger, move back and forth, and reconsider without disruption.
What becomes evident while moving through the gallery is an emphasis on process over conclusion. And that is consistent with the inauguration's real focus. In conversation with Monirul Islam, a Bangladeshi-Spanish artist, the audience witnessed a delightful conversation on consciousness.
The conversation ranged from different cultures on creating art that is affected by geography and time and to how art pieces were created by artists from different eras. From pigment to Mughal courts, Monirul Islam and the guests drew a vivid picture of how art is fluid by nature.
Stating consciousness as a constant state, Islam stated, "Art is a continuous process. What may seem incomplete might be the most complete art."
He also added about finding order through chaos and how it works best for him.
"Some artists are chaotic by nature. But what may seem chaotic to others may be the core of order for them. And orders from outside may not always be indicative of order in an overall process. This is one of the reasons why several famous artists called children the best artists."
With art pieces and wise words, the evening was filled with grace and delight.
TBS picks
Reflection of brutal celebration by Arif Bachchu
Medium: Oil-based painting
The Reflection of Brutal Celebration unfolds around a lone white bird, resting yet vulnerable, surrounded by dark, eroded textures. The muted palette and scratched surfaces evoke aftermath rather than festivity itself. The painting showcases the aftermath of a human celebration without consideration for nature.
Celebration here is implied through the absence a violence already spent. By isolating the fragile form within a scarred environment, the artist reflects on how spectacle and brutality leave behind silence, erasure, and quiet suffering. It captures the paradox of festivity turned feral.
A fragile white bird is placed against dense, bruised ground. The quiet central form contrasts with turbulent textures, suggesting innocence caught within violence.
In search of roots by Dulal Chandra Gain
Medium: 3D Mixed media
This particular painting reflects on belonging, memory and cultural inheritance through layered forms and a mix of different mediums. The work moves between the figurative and the symbolic, suggesting origins that are felt rather than clearly seen.
Fragments, lines and organic motifs hint at journeys both personal and generational. The restrained palette and controlled composition evoke quiet persistence, the sorrow of a past that was divided.
Kotka Sundarban by Ahmed Shamsuddoha
One of the most majestic landscapes in Bangladesh, Sundarban, is captured in its quiet majesty. Deers grazing in a pneumatophore-filled ground under a shade of tree shed showcases the rich biodiversity and beauty of the Sundarbans. In its serene glory, the sundori tree attracts attention through its pneumatophore.
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