Embracing Inharmonious: When dual perspectives tell one story

The gallery was divided in two– Jafrin Gulshan's installations took over one side while Masuda Khatun Jui took over the other half with vibrant canvases. Despite the obvious division between the artists' pieces, there was an undeniable sense of harmony – after all, each piece narrated human stories. 

The exhibition titled, 'Embracing Inharmonious', organised and hosted by Kala Kendra, featured artworks depicting womanhood and their life experiences by two renowned artists, Jafrin Gulshan and Masuda Khatun Jui.  

Curator Lala Rukh Selim brought the installations and paintings together into a seamless exhibition, which began from 27 September, and will draw its curtains on 15 October. 

Situated at the heart of a bustling and chaotic Dhaka, Kala Kendra offers a unique serenity. A place where one can enjoy artworks with a complete calm of mind. Particularly during my visit to the exhibition, the gallery had quite a few art enthusiasts browsing through the art pieces.

The artworks were completely different from each other, both in terms of theme and material, hence the name of the event. Jafrin's installations depict motherhood and femininity; she explored the experience of being a mother and what it means to be a woman, telling stories of her personal experiences. 

On the other hand, Jui's paintings focus on her own surroundings and experiences. She tried to find the deeper meaning in the mundaneness of everyday life as everything bears a tale, a message.

Among the instalments on Jafrin's side, a piece made out of a type of comforter stands out. The red fabric is torn, with bits of cotton and cloth falling out from it, as if its guts are spilling out. 

Taking the form of a womb, the piece symbolises the struggles of motherhood and what it means to give birth. It takes everything out of a mother, both physically and mentally and the price of it can never be repaid.

Jafrin explains how pieces like this one were very personal to her, yet it was important to share it with the world.

"I believe that personal narratives are never isolated but are embedded in a broader societal context," she said. "When shared with others, my personal experiences evolve into sites of collective and political understandings." 

Jui's paintings, even though vibrant, still carried a certain softness. The subtle hues were a true reflection of how the artist wanted to encapsulate the mundanity of life.

"Fragments of the environment and daily life in my surroundings linger in my mind," she said.  

"From cloth designs to even moss and ferns and mushrooms; these pieces of daily life subconsciously become memories in my mind; they make me think. Through this process, my brain seeks to unravel the complexities of culture and society. All these fragments narrate the existence of people," she further explained. 

The paintings were exceptional though. Among her pieces, a wall lined with paintings of women drew me in. They were painted in a portrait style, and from a distance they look like regular drawings. But as you walk closer, you start to notice that the details of their faces begin to blur and the realisation sets in that the paintings depict normal people living in harmony amidst details, such as nature.  

Some of Jui's other paintings were of everyday objects like sandals and clothes hanging from a wire. But it's quite astonishing to think how she transformed these regular things into beautiful pieces.