‘Im/material’: A union of comfort and chaos

Once in a while, we think about our existence and how we are a small part of unbound nature. Our surroundings influence our livelihoods, and also our thoughts and cultures. While creating art, these thoughts and feelings take over our subconscious mind and we see reflections of nature in our artworks. They can either be identical, or abstract. Artist Amitab Sarker's first solo exhibition "Im/material" is a wonderful example of how our motherland inspires our arts.

The inauguration of "Im/material" took place at Kala Kendra Gallery, Lalmatia, Dhaka last Friday (August 30). Veteran artist Wakilur Rahman, and prominent architect Salahuddin presented their cordial speeches praising the artist at the inauguration. This exhibition of abstract art is curated by Sharmillie Rahman.

Amitab Sarkar was born in 1992. He completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from Khulna University, Bangladesh, and his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, India. Since 2013, he has participated in several local and international group art exhibitions. Aside from mixed media on canvas, he has also done performance art.

Amitab was born and brought up in the coastal regions of southern Bangladesh. The house he grew up in was made of earth. Thus, when it rained, the surfaces of the walls would form cracks and droplets of water would flow through them. This particular memory inspired him to turn his canvases into earthen walls with black acrylic paint droplets. One room of Kala Kendra is painted chrome yellow in accordance with Amitab's earthen works.

The finest characteristic of Amitab's paintings is that they invoke emotions and create a chain of thoughts. His artworks speak of his commitment to proportions and balance. His imagination comes alive through the colours and textures of his canvases. Calm and chaos both exist in his works harmoniously. According to the curator, the artist orchestrates atemporal, and spatial configurations with deliberate and methodical approaches and they align with the aesthetics of the abstract. 

The artist has made brilliant use of textures, forms, and colours. Even though he was inspired by nature, he wanted his audience to have their own interpretation of his artworks. There are several yellow pieces, including the largest pair. Being asked about his affinity towards yellow, he mentioned that it was the most dominant shade he saw in his surroundings in the south. He has also used blues, greens, and reds in clever ways. In this exhibition, there are paintings where he created shapes to depict the difference between light and dark on a smaller scale. 

In short, Amitab's exhibition shows how ordinary things can be extraordinary. His approach to art may not be new, but his works are definitely capable of leaving an impression on our minds. 

Kala Kendra will run this open-for-all exhibition till September 17.