Abstraction: Silent dialogues in colour

Gong...gong...gong—three resonant chimes signalled the exhibition's opening, inviting everyone into the space. Despite the crowd, the room, with its pristine white walls, was enveloped in a unique kind of quiet. 

It was the art alone that breathed life into the surroundings. The first walk around the gallery was not nearly enough to grasp the depth of what was on display. 

It was only on the third round that I found myself stopping, struck with a quiet 'oh'. Abstract art, something I hadn't delved into before, offered me a fresh perspective that lingered long after I left the exhibition.
An abstraction is a form of art that invites you to interpret it based on your perspective, which is fascinating because it helps you understand yourself better. 

Just like children who fearlessly draw whatever they want without following any rules, abstract artists turn their vision into a story told through shapes, colours, and forms that seem to come from nothing.

The group exhibition in Galleri Kaya, featuring 26 modern and contemporary artists, showcases 54 diverse works, all bonded by the central theme of 'abstraction,' expressed through various art forms.

"Galleri Kaya showcases artworks from both senior and junior artists, allowing viewers to explore their artistic journeys," said Goutam Chakraborty, the founder of Galleri Kaya. 

And it is true as the exhibition is showcasing artworks by senior artists such as Safiuddin Ahmed, Mohammad Kibria, and Aminul Islam alongside those by much younger artists such as Maksuda Iqbal Nipa and Mohammad Tokon. 

"This exhibition aims to inspire emerging artists and provide them with direction in their creative endeavours," Goutam added. 

Samarjit Roy Choudhury's 'Harmony on Earth' (1937–2022) is an acrylic on canvas piece, with blue as the predominant colour, symbolising peace. The artwork features all major places of worship aligned in a row, conveying a simple yet powerful vision of how the artist envisions a harmonious world. 

Rafi Haque's 'Red and Brown,' an intriguing oil-on-paper piece, invites deeper exploration. At first glance, it resembles an ancient treasure map, with scattered symbols and numbers. The more you look into it, the stronger the urge becomes to uncover its secrets and figure out where the map leads.

"When we travel by car, we experience our surroundings in one way; but when we're on a train, the view shifts as it moves quickly past us. In the same way, when I had the chance to fly over Sylhet in a helicopter, I saw the area with fresh eyes. The same landscape that looks one way from the ground completely changes when viewed from above," Goutam explained, relating this to how he perceives abstract art.

Abstraction opened on 11 October and will run until 26 October. Galleri Kaya also has exciting new exhibitions lined up for the following months.

TBS Picks

The flood victim family by Abu Taher
Medium: Oil on canvas

A hauntingly beautiful piece of art that powerfully evokes the profound loss families experience during floods. The portrayal of the victim's family is larger than the surrounding scene, symbolising the idea that unity and togetherness can outweigh any problem.

Harmony on Earth by Samarjit Roy Choudhury
Medium: Acrylic on canvas 

The major worship places aligned in one line show that only we can gain harmony in this world through unity and acceptance of one another. This beautiful piece of art gives you a feeling of hope when you look at it.

Partition-2 by Ratan Mojumder
Medium: Woodcut print 
The use of black and white in this artwork is ironic, as the artist conveys the message that not everything is simply black and white. There is depth to everything we see, but we often only perceive the surface with our naked eyes.