Surovi Jannat opens up about art, Oxford and exploring nature
Young Bangladeshi Soma Surovi Jannat was recently honoured as the first ever Bangladeshi resident artist at the Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
As humans we think like humans. But what if we thought like inanimate objects? How different would our world be ?
Bangladeshi artist Soma Surovi Jannat explored these questions and tried to find the answers in one of her drawing installation work titled 'Floating Island,' a series of artwork which was created from a combination of intuition and observation.
"I see myself as a floating island; repositioning myself into an extreme form of land and rediscovering the relationship with nature," said Surovi.
Surovi was recently honoured as the first-ever Bangladeshi artist selected to the Frere Hall South Asian Artist in Residence programme at the museum. Opened in 1683, the Ashmolean is Oxford University's Museum of Art and Archaeology, and the oldest public museum in the United Kingdom.
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"The experience in Oxford was incredibly vibrant. I had unrestricted access to explore the entire Ashmolean Museum. What sets Ashmolean apart is their ability to connect each time period with one another," said Surovi.
"I also had the freedom to explore various forms of art and conduct research without constraints. This experience will undoubtedly leave its mark on my future work," she added.
In the Museum, she was looking at collections of company paintings, Kalighat, Mica paintings, Photographs and Clay figures from the Colonial period, as well as the Mughal miniatures.
Surovi's artistic journey commenced in her early childhood, much like any other child who possesses an innate love for drawing, finding any available space to express herself, even the walls of her home. At that time, formal schooling had not yet begun for her. However, as her parents recognised her burgeoning talent, they decided to nurture it further.
During her third-grade year, Surovi's parents enrolled her at Dhanmondi Art School, where she received formal instruction in the fundamentals of drawing. From the sixth grade until her Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exam in 2005, she continued her artistic education at the Russian Culture Center (RCC).
After completing HSC exam Surovi got a chance to pursue her graduation at Department of Drawing & Painting at Faculty of Fine Art, Dhaka University. Because of session jam, she became a graduate in 2013.
Upon completing her undergraduate studies, Surovi was awarded the ICCR scholarship to pursue her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in the Department of Painting at Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan.
"Santiniketan transformed my perspective entirely," Surovi reflected with enthusiasm.
"I frequently visited a Santal village near my campus. That experience inspired a painting series I titled 'Songs of Santal,' in which I tried to capture the essence of their home interiors and surroundings," she added.
After completing her master's degree, she began to gain recognition both domestically and internationally through her participation in various exhibitions, as well as her receipt of awards and residency programmes.
From 2016 to 2023, her artworks were prominently featured in several prestigious exhibitions domestically and internationally, including the Dhaka Art Summit, Asian Art Biennale in Bangladesh at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, the 7th Beijing International Art Biennale in China, the 'Young Subcontinent project' of the Serendipity Arts Festival, Goa, India, 'Paint your own village' at Kora Contemporary arts center, Italy, 2023, etc. among others.
As one delves deeper into her creations, new elements continue to reveal themselves. The intricate details within her drawings carry a captivating and enigmatic quality.
In a series called 'Line and Lyrics' she created a metaphorical representation of her personal feelings towards mother nature.
"I look into our life trajectory through windows and try to read the images which are created in our conscious mind," she said.
Another series of hers is called 'Catharsis' – a process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from strong or repressed emotions. In this process, she chose to draw on a 99cm x 43cm feet long canvas with a pen, and it led her to a polyptych drawing series.
"The pandemic provided us time and space to understand the relationship between the smallest phenomena of nature, the connection that evolves in a short span of time, and the impact of those incidents on our life. That's how and when Catharsis came about," she said.
In 2018, she hosted her debut solo exhibition at La galerie, Alliance Francaise de Dhaka, which was aptly titled 'Grey Contours.'
Prior to her residency at the Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, she had already made her mark by joining the Delfina Foundation in London in 2022. Surovi was also a part of DEFAULT 22, the Masterclass in Residence at KORA Contemporary Arts Center in Italy during the same year.
"My transition from the bustling urban landscape of Dhaka to the tranquil villages of Bangladesh and India; along with my immersion in a multitude of artistic traditions at the Ashmolean Museum, has not only enriched my artistic expression but also fostered a profound connection with the natural world."
Surovi has also received numerous awards, including the prestigious Samdani Art Award in 2020 and the 22nd Young Artist Art Award in the same year. She was honored with the Maitree Award from All India Radio, presented by the President of India in 2016.
A few artworks by Soma Surovi Jannat
