From the streets to the States: The story behind The Art of Triumph

In late August, Anis Zaman found himself amidst a close circle of friends and family, gathered for dinner at the Chief Adviser's residence. As was customary at such dinners during that time, the conversation invariably drifted toward the state of Bangladesh—the recent political upheaval and the ripples it had created in its wake.

Anis, not one to shy away from the topic, turned to Dr Yunus and shared an observation. On his way to the Jamuna State Guest House, he had been struck by the sight of countless walls lining the streets which were nothing short of aesthetic artwork. 

The people of Dhaka had poured their raw emotions, thoughts and demands onto those walls, painting stories of the tumultuous months that had led to what felt like the dawn of a new Bangladesh.

Fearing the inevitable wear and tear that time would bring, the Chief Adviser and Anis found themselves in agreement—these works had to be preserved, to be archived. 

Dr Yunus took the idea further, suggesting that the art could be compiled into a photo book, one that captures the spirit of new Bangladesh. 

It would be a testament to the students, protesters and artists who had worked on those artworks. Dr Yunus also mused that it could also be a gift—a symbol of their nation's resilience, to be shared with friends, family and even international dignitaries. 

And so, what began as a casual dinner conversation blossomed into a full-fledged project—then became the very art book the Chief Adviser would later distribute to dignitaries such as Justin Trudeau and Jane Goodall during his visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly in late September. 

This book will be available to the public but in a very non-commercial way. It's a book for the people of Bangladesh. Any proceeds will be used to support victims and families in need of medical care. The book belongs to them.

Anis Zaman, Co-producer of 'The Art of Triumph'

From walls to pages

"Each and every wall had an individual story to say. They are standalone paintings and artworks themselves. We wanted to archive and recapture all these stories," said Anis, one of the producers of the photo book. He is also the managing director at a commercial real estate agency in Bangladesh. 

Anis and his team wanted to showcase some of the lesser-known stories they discovered painted on the walls as well—like the murals depicting tea garden workers in Sylhet, expressing their demands for fair wages and working conditions.

"It's all positive," Anis emphasised. "No hatred, nothing vulgar and certainly nothing political. We wanted people to open the book and be captivated by the sheer artistic brilliance of Bangladeshis."

He then shared a personal experience from when he was wandering through Singapore and found himself drawn to a Dolce & Gabbana store, where they were selling mugs and souvenirs adorned with rickshaw art. This moment reinforced his long-held belief, shared by his team, that Bangladeshi art could always attract an international audience, provided it had the right exposure. 

They were committed to ensuring that the raw talent displayed in Bangladeshi wall art would be documented and preserved for all to see. This is where Morshed Mishu, one of the creative minds behind the project, came into play.

Mishu quickly focused on key areas within Dhaka, choosing to prominently feature the wall art from locations where student protests had unfolded and where the subsequent police crackdowns had occurred. 

He had only a few days to organise the photographing of these murals. Within that time he also had to curate a selection of images that would make it into the final version of the book.

"We chose locations based on the main hotspots during the protests—places like Mirpur 10, Uttara, Shahbagh and Dhaka University. We took around 500 photos, and I initially selected 200 for the others to pick from for the final draft," Mishu explained.

He went on to clarify that the walls weren't chosen based on how artistically refined the murals were.

"Our focus was to highlight the positivity of a new Bangladesh, our hopes, demands and the expectations of Gen Z. We wanted to showcase artwork from both before and after 5 August. It was never about featuring professionals or the works of high-profile artists," Mishu added.

Avijit Karmoker, the photographer assigned to the project, shared that it wasn't an easy task. He only had two days to complete the job, and during that time, Dhaka was being hit by torrential rain.

"Obviously, the overcast weather wasn't ideal for photography, and I wasn't using any additional lighting. But looking back, the fresh rainwater seemed to cleanse the walls. So, even though the lighting wasn't perfect, the murals appeared much more vibrant," Avijit recalled.

The final result was a book with around 50 odd photos of different walls from various parts of the country. Since Avijit couldn't make the trip outside Dhaka, Anis asked friends and family who resided outside the capital to provide the team with photos of graffiti around them. 

Credits and commercialisation

When it comes to commercialising a product that incorporates the creative works of others, issues of credit and intellectual property inevitably arise. "The artwork on the walls are displayed in public spaces, so it's not that they can't be photographed," Anis explained. 

He continued, "We made every effort to find the artists but most of the murals were unsigned. It's really challenging to identify the creators. However, we promise that once the photobook is published, if anyone steps forward claiming credit for a piece we've used, we'll gladly acknowledge them without hesitation."

Anis clarified that the book hasn't been released to the public yet and is currently being used as a state gift from the Chief Adviser to foreign dignitaries. However, they are open to any artist coming forward to claim credit for their work.

"Credit will be given where it's due," he emphasised.

Anis also confirmed that the copyright belongs to the 'July Shaheed Smriti Foundation,' and when the book is eventually sold, all proceeds will go directly to the foundation.

"This book will be available to the public, but in a very non-commercial way. It's a book for the people of Bangladesh. Since the foundation holds the copyright, any proceeds will be used to support victims and families in need of medical care. The book belongs to them. It's completely non-profit," he stated.

Apart from Morshed Mishu and Anis Zaman, the book was co-produced by Tajrina Mannan, Shayaan Seraj and Tawfiq Bari.