A nation paints its aspirations on its walls
Organised by Drik and the World Bank, the exhibition of murals that took over the streets after the uprising captures the hopes and aspirations of Bangladesh’s youth
Just after the uprising that brought a new dawn in Bangladesh, a mural stood around the streets of Mohakhali. The blue mural, with clouds in the backdrop, featured a painting of a boy with a brush over his shoulder and a book over his body. The words "paint the sky, make it yours" were written on the painting.
This mural, hidden between the paintings that had engulfed Bangladesh's roads, stood out to a bypasser, which sparked the project of documenting street art across the country.
To showcase the youth's visions for Bangladesh's future, the World Bank organised the documentation and compilation of murals, in collaboration with Drik. Drik is now displaying the results of months-long documentation of wall art at the exhibition, 'Paint the Sky, Make it Yours'. The exhibition opened on 23 November and will close on 30 November. During the opening ceremony, they also launched a book under the same title, providing a broader glimpse of the murals.
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"While many perceive the World Bank as solely an economic entity in Bangladesh, it also plays a significant role in empowering the youth," remarked ASM Rezaur Rahman, General Manager at Drik and curator of the exhibition. He continued, "After the uprising, they felt the murals were like statements from the youth about the future of Bangladesh. They had to be preserved, lest they get lost."
The murals originate from around 11 districts, including Dhaka, Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet, Chattogram, Barishal, Cumilla, Rangpur, Rangamati, Khagrachari, and Bandarban.
Rezaur explained how they did not want the exhibition to be Dhaka-centric, and instead, wanted people to be able to see what the murals looked like across the whole country.
The gallery consisted of six walls, allowing you to browse through the different themes as you moved from one wall to the next. It almost feels like flipping through chapters of a book.
As always, Drik brought a distinctive touch to their curation. The large murals displayed on the walls are left unframed, allowing the art to command the space. Stepping into the gallery, I found myself leaning in to figure out if the murals were painted directly onto the walls. The display cleverly mirrored the street art we often encounter in urban settings.
I spent an unusually long time in front of the 'Gen-Z' themed wall, prominently placed at the centre of the gallery. For far too long, we have underestimated our youth. This generation has faced relentless scrutiny, often labelled as mindless, overly reliant on social media, and much more. Yet, they have defied these criticisms, demonstrating their resilience and commitment to driving change for an entire nation.
"As adults, we might raise awareness about crucial issues, but somehow they are overlooked. But now, we are seeing the youth making these very statements, something we could not have even imagined before 5 August," commented Rezaur.
Though these statements stemmed from the uprising, the art on the walls is more than that.
"Each wall talks about the youth's aspirations—they don't want anarchy, lawlessness, or bribery. They want to speak up. They want to stand tall. And who has taken the lead for this change—it's them, the young generation," shared Rezaur.
Tasfia Rahman Rodoshi, a student who had also painted quite a few murals, also spoke about the goals of her art.
"We didn't just paint about the uprising, we painted about the changes we wanted to see in the country as well. I would say now, we're free, but I wouldn't say we are safe yet. Our work is not done yet," she commented.
In a way, all of this connects back to the mural that inspired this exhibition. The youths used the streets to dream. Visions that once seemed unrealistic now seem within reach. They painted the sky with their contributions and future aspirations.
