Layouts in letters: Commemorating Bangla through calligraphy

At first glance, the art pieces that are spread throughout the gallery seem surprisingly simple. The colour palette looks straightforward, and the style seems eccentric. That is, until you step closer and suddenly notice the dots and curves of Bangla letters seamlessly integrated into the art pieces. 
 
Artist Arham ul Huq Chowdhury, the mind behind the art works, is hosting a solo exhibition, 'Layouts in Letters,' to display his way of commemorating our mother-tongue through calligraphy. The exhibition displays 52 of Arham's original pieces.  
"The idioms and phrases (in the exhibition) are all age-old Bangla proverbs," said Arham.

The artist first started dabbling in Bangla calligraphy when he realised how very few Bangla calligraphy art pieces existed.
 
"As I delved into the art of Farsi and Arabic calligraphy, I realised that Bangla calligraphy was virtually nonexistent," he reflected. "I knew that if I couldn't represent Bangla calligraphy in a style true to our Bangali heritage, then it wouldn't make any sense to pursue it at all."
 
The 52 artworks, each a visual interpretation of Bangla proverbs, were crafted to represent their meanings in a literal sense. Within these art pieces, the proverbs intertwine seamlessly with the artwork's lines, merging text with texture. 

In certain pieces, the words are easily discernible, leaping out to the viewer, while in others, it is almost impossible to pick the words from the picture. 

For example, the piece named, 'Eating on an earthen bowl leaving the plate,' shows a plate and a bowl where the curve and loops of letters mimic a pattern, rather than letters. 

However, the hardest part of the Arham's process was gathering the proverbs in the first place. 

"I once had my art published in an Eid supplement magazine, but I couldn't find any old proverbs related to Eid. So, I made up my own. This made me think: if our grandmothers could come up with proverbs, then we can definitely make up some too," said Arham.

"The hardest part of the process was finding the proverb." 
 
While most of the art work around the exhibition are age-old proverbs we have heard before, nestled among them are a few that sound quite new. The art piece, 'Dancer of the radio' is one piece of the calligraphy the artist took liberty with. The piece depicts a radio with a girl dancing beside it, but the girl is formed of letters and music notes.

"You will notice that the smaller the proverb, the stronger and more powerful it is. So, finding the small proverbs and conveying them properly was very tough," the artist continued.
 
This rings true for his artwork, where his dedication to capturing the essence of powerful proverbs through intricate details is evident. The prevalent colour palette in the gallery showcased art in shades of white, brown, and other muted tones, mirroring the paper's natural hues on which the artworks were created.

Yet, two artworks positioned in the middle of the exhibition demanded attention.

Crafted against a vibrant red backdrop with yellow paint, these pieces radiated with intensity and vigour. The idioms chosen for these artworks were 'Deity also rides the swing' and 'Showing the chariot of fourteen wheels'. These bold artworks somehow managed to project their voices even louder amidst the sea of more muted pieces surrounding them. 
In the piece, 'Pretending to be a calf cutting the horn,' the artist illustrates a cow with cut horns, its head tilted like a child, staring right back at you — as if in childish curiosity or ignorance. The calligraphy is done on a muted, old pink page, to depict that the cow cannot escape its age. 
 
One artwork that really stayed with me was titled 'Kunki elephant.' In Bangla, this single word is used for the elephant's outline. These elephants are often used to lure and capture wild elephants. The piece depicts the elephant leading the way, seen from behind, but it looks back at the viewer, as if to check if you're following.

Throughout the piece, there isn't a hint of pure white except in the small detail of its eye looking back. Furthermore, short lines are drawn in front of the elephant to show that it intends to trap you. 
 
The exhibition also has an important cause behind it. The event is being organised by The Bangu Vegan and Project 18. All proceeds of the exhibition are being donated to the animal welfare foundation, Obhoyaronno. If you want to visit the exhibition yourself and contribute to the cause; the event will be open for visitors from 10 AM till 6 PM tomorrow at Banani Block B.