‘Seeking Sacred Beauty: The Devotional Art of Malay Bala’ kicks off at AFD
A solo exhibition titled "Seeking Sacred Beauty: The Devotional Art of Malay Bala" opened yesterday (October 18), at La Galerie, Alliance Française de Dhaka.
The event marks the third solo showcase by artist and Charukala Professor Dr Malay Bala, featuring 80 traditional Bengali paintings rooted in spiritual and mythological themes.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The opening ceremony was attended by noted personalities including renowned photographer Nasir Ali Mamun, eminent artist Samar Majumder, and writer Sharifa Akhter, who joined in celebrating Bala's artistic and spiritual exploration.
Bala's works draw upon the narrative traditions of Shakuntala, Dharma, Pobitro Nari (Sacred Women), and Prakriti (Sacred Nature). Using Bengali watercolor, gouache, tempera, and notably Abanindranath Tagore's wash technique, the artist delves into motifs of divine creation, enlightened masters like Buddha and Krishna, the sacred feminine, and the harmony of nature.
Deeply influenced by indigenous Bengali art principles and natural materials, Bala's paintings embody the ideals of Ananda Coomaraswamy's concept of Sacred Art and Rabindranath Tagore's swadeshi spirit, offering a renewed vision of Bengali traditional aesthetics.
"I paint to seek, meditate upon, and become closer to God," said Bala. "My heart senses the Divine within sacred myths, spiritual masters, Prakriti, and the divine grace of women that I strive to paint."
Curator Mikhail Idris, Learning Designer at Learning-Design Studio, noted that Bala's art "reveals a spiritual impulse to illuminate the sacred world, nature, and beings his heart beholds. His art symbolizes, remembers, and contemplates the Sacred, rekindling the soul's vocation for Divine union."
Dedicated to the late wood sculptor, freedom fighter, and Ekushey Padak recipient Ferdousi Priyabhashini, the 11-day exhibition will run until October 28, 2025.
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