Driftwood art exhibition by AA Rasha opens in city

Friends of ’71 Bangladesh, beauty of nature feature prominently in expatriate sculptor’s artworks

Noted cultural personality and member of parliament, Asaduzzaman Noor at the inauguration of an art exhibition titled ‘Drifting to the Root, Drifting to Love’ in the city on Thursday, 7 September 2023.
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A weeklong solo exhibition of driftwood artworks highlighting Bangladesh’s liberation war, women’s empowerment and nature began at Safiuddin Shilpalay in Dhaka city’s Dhanmondi area today, Thursday, stated a press release.

The exhibition titled ‘Drifting to the Root, Drifting to Love’ is the first exhibition in the country by Akhtar Ahmed Rasha, an expatriate sculptor who employs natural materials like twigs, roots, and trunks to craft found object art.

He earlier joined a number of solo and group exhibitions in New Jersy, New York and Washington DC in the US.

“I’ve tried to give expressions to experience of life in Bangladesh and the process started with scavenging driftwood in beaches along the Atlantic coast. I am happy that I’ve focused on liberation war especially friends of Bangladesh abroad,” said the artist.

As many as 53 artworks have been put on display in the exhibition that would remain open to public from 11:00am to 7:00pm every day till 13 September.

Noted cultural personality and member of parliament, Asaduzzaman Noor inaugurated the exhibition organised by Studio Vertical. Among others art collector Abul Khair Litu spoke at the inaugural ceremony chaired by professor Nisar Hossain, dean, faculty of fine art, University of Dhaka.