Zakia Khan Chandana Showcases Surrealist Art at Zainul Gallery
Artist Zakia Khan Chandana, known for her consistent practice of surrealism, is currently exhibiting her fourth solo art show at the Zainul Gallery of Dhaka University's Faculty of Fine Arts. This exhibition follows her third solo show at Alliance Française in Dhaka last June, marking a relatively quick succession after a long break from solo exhibitions. Surrealism, an art and cultural movement that emerged in Europe after World War I, was officially named in October 1924 following French poet Guillaume Apollinaire's 1917 utterance of the term. André Breton published the 'Surrealist Manifesto' in October 1924, solidifying the movement's identity, with key figures like Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, and René Magritte.
Chandana's artwork delves into themes of existence and transformation through the simple depiction of nature, its elements, and humanity, suggesting cycles of change and rebirth. She employs dreamlike environments, using surrealist techniques to balance the otherworldly with the familiar. Her pieces often explore existential crises and human transience, symbolized by mountainous structures, while also highlighting life's potential through human and natural forms. Works like 'Roots Beyond Time' (2025) and 'The Mirage of Gravity' (2024) showcase fantastical imagery, depicting desolate landscapes and dramatic moments of upheaval, respectively. Her art utilizes a distinctive blend of surrealist textures and compositions to engage viewers with a sense of wonder and mystery.
Chandana primarily uses acrylic paints on canvas, favoring a palette of browns, ochres, oranges, whites, blacks, and blues. Her skill in realistic depiction is effectively applied to her surrealist creations, allowing her to capture the essence of her subjects and satisfy the viewer's curiosity. This exhibition, along with her preceding solo shows, demonstrates her artistic achievement and contributes significantly to the intellectual growth of surrealist practice in Bangladeshi art. The exhibition is open daily from 11 AM to 8 PM until Saturday, August 8th, at the Zainul Gallery.
This exhibition highlights a contemporary artist's engagement with surrealism, a movement rooted in exploring the subconscious and challenging conventional reality. The artist's ability to blend realistic techniques with fantastical imagery suggests a sophisticated understanding of visual language to convey complex themes like existence, transformation, and humanity's relationship with nature. The analysis of her work through the lens of natural disasters and subsequent resilience, depicted in forms like 'Silent Resurrection,' points to a broader commentary on societal and environmental recovery. The consistent practice and successful exhibitions indicate a dedicated pursuit of artistic vision, contributing to the discourse on surrealism's relevance in the contemporary art landscape and its potential for intellectual and emotional resonance.
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