Author: Tanjim Chowdhury
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Transforming optical glasses box into unique works of art
If you wear glasses, you probably have a collection of optical glasses boxes lying around. Like me, you might wonder how to give these functional but plain items a new lease on life. Since I’ve been wearing glasses since 2012, I’ve accumulated a fair share of optical boxes. Instead of discarding them, I decided to…
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PK Sen Bhaban: A Forgotten Jewel of Chittagong’s History
Chittagong, a city steeped in history, is a treasure trove of cultural and architectural heritage. Among its most iconic landmarks is the PK Sen Bhaban, also known as the “Sat-tala Bhaban” or “Seven-Story Building,” located in the bustling Sadarghat area. My visit to this remarkable structure in 2016, facilitated by the URONTO residency program, opened…
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Telling Stories Through Waste: My Artistic Dialogue with El Anatsui
Introduction Art has always been a medium of self-expression and cultural storytelling, and as an artist hailing from a developing country, my inspiration often draws from the world around me—its struggles, triumphs, and traditions. Today, I want to introduce one of my favorite contemporary artists, El Anatsui, a visionary sculptor whose works have left an…
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How to Make a Kadam Flower with Recycled Materials: A Step-by-Step DIY Guide
Creating art from recycled materials is a rewarding experience, allowing us to be creative while reducing waste. Today, I want to share a project close to my heart: making a Kadam (Neolamarckia cadamba) flower using recycled materials. This flower, native to Bangladesh and celebrated for its beautiful round shape and vibrant colors, has always been…
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Getting Started with Linocut: A Beginner’s Guide to Relief Printing
As an art student at the Institute of Fine Arts Chittagong, I first learned about linocut during my Art Materials class. However, as a student focused on painting, I never had the chance to practice it. My curiosity lingered until 2019 when I joined a typography workshop while studying at ISBA. There, I met printmakers…
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Damien Hirst: When Art Confronts Death
Damien Hirst, a leading figure in contemporary art, made a bold and unsettling statement with his work The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living (1991). This installation, which features a tiger shark preserved in formaldehyde, sparked passionate debate about the nature of art, death, and our perception of reality. Displayed at the Metropolitan…