Najma Akhter’s 11th Solo Show Lyrical Abstraction – Bangladesh At The Core Well-Received At The Jehangir Art Gallery Mumbai

Najma Akhter’s Lyrical Abstraction: Bangladesh at the Core was on display at the Jehangir Art Gallery 3 from Oct 18-24. The exhibition exploreed nature and human settlements through abstraction as a method. The artist presents the lyrical aspect of Bangladesh through the free-flowing strokes and texture as a context in this exhibition. Bangladesh is known to be a green and fertile land for centuries. It is a riverine country. Rivers create new lands and wash away localities to be rebuilt by the resilient people. The landscape is constantly evolving creating a multitude of visual possibilities that an abstract painter would translate and transfer to the surface of the canvas. This abstraction differs from the west or the grand tradition of abstract expressionism, although connected.

For the uninitiated, Najma Akhter is a modern artist from Bangladesh and is one of those few whose forte is abstract painting. She was born on February 14, 1959. An MFA from the Institute of Fine Arts, Dhaka University, Najma Akhter has exhibited around the globe her expressive paintings, which mostly are acrylic on paper or canvas. Originally a student of Oriental Arts, an area where too she received great appreciation. She started experimenting with abstract visual language in 2003 and toured with her vibrant collection to a number of places like Penang, Malaysia to Patras, Greece. She has been a member of the jury of an international art expo in Sofia, Bulgaria. The artist is also an assistant professor of secondary and higher secondary level fine arts at the University Laboratory School and College. Institute of Education Research. Dhaka University.

Najma Akhter used to write distinctive art reviews for reputed dailies before concentrating solely on her paintings. Her works are in collections of a number of organisations (including government offices, National Museum, Shilpakala Academy, Banks and diplomatic missions) and private collectors, at home and abroad. Najma has received runners-up in Bulgaria’s prestigious International Mixed Media Exhibition and Poet Abdul Hai Mashreky Gold Medal and Shilpacharja Gold Medal.