Virtual exhibition on Rohingya art, culture begins

A 21-day long virtual exhibition of cultural objects and artworks representing key aspects of Rohingya memories, experiences, and aspirations has been organised by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Embassy of Bangladesh in the Netherlands.

The exhibition will take place from 10 December to 31 December through the Rohingya Cultural Memory Centre (RCMC), read a press release.

The exhibition - Art | Life | Rohingya - is supported by the Netherlands Foreign Office and can be accessed at https://artspaces.kunstmatrix.com/en/exhibition/8706193/art-life-rohingya.

Visitors can click through a 3D virtual gallery, moving through different rooms to view collections such as Rohingya architecture, boat models, needlework, pottery, basketry, musical instruments, among others.

The exhibition is part of an attempt to preserve Rohingya culture and ensure its continuity for Rohingya youth and children. The RCMC also aims to restore dignity and enhance the psychological well-being of the Rohingya population.

The cultural objects and artworks, created and curated by refugee artisans of RCMC in Cox's Bazar Rohingya camps, capture Rohingya life in their homeland of Myanmar through artful scale models of their traditional houses, boats, furniture, household items, tools, etc.

Embroidery artworks such as 'Henna Hands,' 'Self-Reflection' and 'My Home in Myanmar' reveal the inner worlds of the Rohingya women. 'Wedding Tapestry' and needlework renditions of Rohingya proverbs visualize indigenous beliefs and practices.

IOM Bangladesh's Officer in Charge Fathima Nusrath Ghazzali said, "The RCMC offers a platform for the Rohingya people to share and build their stories with a global audience and to connect with the diaspora."

Rohingya artisan Zaber said, "Preserving and collecting our cultural things is a meaningful way of getting back a precious thing which was lost a hundred years before. We left everything except our memories. If we collect these things today, they won't disappear, and our younger generations will know about them."

"Embroidery is a world of art and a garden of relaxation," said embroidery artisan Shamsunnahar, "We want to show Rohingya women's handicraft to the world."

The exhibition also includes artworks by Rohingya teaching artists of Artolution, a community-based public artist network that creates social change through art.

According to Dr Max Frieder, co-founder and executive director of Artolution, "The Rohingya Artolution and the Rohingya Cultural Memory Center are at the core of the same movement to define the history of how Rohingya artistic expression is the candle of resilience, towards a future of profound regeneration."

"Rohingya people are just not another million people. They treasure distinct cultures and heritage as well. Their identity and dignity demand protection, by us, all," said Ambassador M Riaz Hamidullah of the Embassy of Bangladesh to the Netherlands.

Ambassador Anne Gerard van Leeuwen of the Embassy of the Netherlands to Bangladesh said, "By preserving the cultural identity of the Rohingya, the Rohingya Cultural Memory Centre creates hope and strengthens mental wellbeing."

IOM is constructing a multi-purpose community centre in the Rohingya camp to display the RCMC collection. In 2022, RCMC activities will focus on skills-building, cultural education, and community-based art and culture activities to support the intergenerational transfer of knowledge.