‘The Quiet Within’: Exhibition blurs the line between photography and painting

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Aishwarya Raihan

‘The Quiet Within’: Exhibition blurs the line between photography and painting

Photos: Abrar Faiyaz Niloy

A child can have multiple dreams about their potential future professions and often, given the right opportunities, they can become what they want. Just like any child, Rashed Zaman dreamt of becoming a painter, an architect, and a photographer simultaneously. However, he decided to stick to the last one and became a cinematographer. Bengal Foundation took an interest in his remarkable photography and organised his first solo exhibition.

On August 13, Bengal Shilpalay inaugurated ‘The Quiet Within’, a solo exhibition by Bangladeshi cinematographer and artist Rashed Zaman, the contents of which are a mediation between painting and photography. The ceremony was hosted by Luva Nahid Chowdhury, Director General of Bengal Foundation. The Ambassador of Germany to Bangladesh, Dr Rüdiger Lotz, graced the event as the chief guest, while Bangladeshi-Spanish artist Monirul Islam attended as the special guest. Dr Rüdiger’s wife, Ivana Lotz, was also present at the event as a guest.

Luva Nahid spoke about Rashed having the sensibility of a painter. Monirul Islam called him an artist as he is capable of thinking like one. He praised the vastness, scale, stillness, solitude, isolation, and tranquillity of the photographs. Dr Rüdiger spoke about how photography gives us the chance to have a moment to pause, to think and take a break. He is impressed by the mystique and spirituality that Rashed’s photography radiates – and also lies somewhere between movement and stillness. He added that this exhibition is another mosaic of the great artistic tradition that Bengal has.

In search of calm and quiet, Rashed Zaman decided to escape from the overcrowded and overwhelming city of Dhaka occasionally and find solace. He loves to work with light and how the variation, intensity, reflection, refraction, angles of light, and shadows create magical moments on earth. “Light is how the creator paints nature”, said Rashed. Dr Rüdiger said, “The transitional light between dusk and dawn makes us perceive things more clearly.” In Rashed’s work, this ephemeral light, when our nature is in the shadow circle of earth, is visible, letting us see beautiful landscapes through his eyes.

In terms of colours, Rashed’s photos are usually monochromatic, or contain few colours, creating visual comfort. The sun is captured at its gentlest moments. Some photos are simply deep, dreamy blue with nature’s silhouettes. Buffalos and waterbodies have occupied a great number of photographs. In some, they are still; in others, they are moving – giving Rashed a chance to work with motion blur. Some of the photos have also blurred the horizon line, making us wonder where the sky ends and the ground or river starts. He has also made use of different angles to play with light. Aerial views that he captured are simply majestic.

In short, Rashed Zaman’s minimalistic use of subjects and colours gives maximum depth to photography and the way nature can be seen and felt. Bengal Shilpalay will run this exhibition till August 27.