Sannikat _ Triptych
a. Clay on Jute
b. Pigments on Endi cotton
c. Pigments on Muslin
213 x 122 cm 2023
Bishwajit Goswami
Reminiscing the natural flora and fauna in his village from childhood, a specific memory stands out; the flowers from the mystic Kadam tree in Monsoon, near the Kangsa River, in Mymensingh. He recalls taking shelter from the rain under the hospitable tree; inhaling its short-lived, yet sweet aromas, reveling at its wild beauty; closing his eyes for a few seconds, only to lose himself in melancholic calmness, with fleeting dreams of love and unbound joy.
A wish.
A dream..
A memory…
Hazaribagh, which means A Thousand Gardens, is well known for its industrial leather manufacturing, and is one of the most polluted areas of Dhaka city. Goswami coincidentally found a trace of the fabled garden next to the Mukti Tannery building- the future home of Brihatta Art Foundation- in the form of the majestic Kadam tree, from his childhood.
The artwork, a mixed media piece by Artist Bishwajit Goswami, has been created in three layers at the Brihatta art space.
The first layer is a mantra of the Bangla word Sannikat; a new flow making connections through language, words and dialogue.
সন্নিকট
means
Nearby
The second layer is a silhouette of the Kadam tree, using clay, applied by hand, taking Goswami back to his childhood memories of playing by the river banks.
The third layer is a Mughal miniature inspired painting of the kadam tree.
The shitalpati has been created by the artist in collaboration with a local weaving community in Sylhet. It is a surface which people can touch, feel, or sit on together. Like the shitalpati, new stories will be woven together from their collective experiences and presence.
Since the start of its journey in 2016, Brihatta has focused on the creation, and curation of art within the public realm; by establishing a dynamic liaison between artists, craftsman, local & expat community members, and global practitioners to place artwork within a space that achieves shared goals.
Bishwajit Goswami began his career as a figurative, hyper-realist painter. Inspired by the Bangla language and its written formation, the artist has been breaking down and rearranging and reconstructing his artistic language into abstract forms and shapes. Institution building and education is also a core-part of his creative practice as the founder of Brihatta Art Foundation and as a professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka.
B. 1981, Netrakona; lives and works in Dhaka
Goswami portrays the universal situation of society through six forms in his artworks:
মা- Ma (Mother)
মাটি - Mati (earth)
মানুষ- Manush (people)
ভাষা-Bhasha (Language)
স্বদেশ - Swadesh (Motherland)
প্রকৃতি- Prokriti (Nature)
Trishna, meaning Thirst in Bangla, reflects Goswami’s quest to further explore his roots and capacity as a Bangladeshi Artist in the contemporary world.
Over the years, he has been working with font, text, typography and calligraphy across different mediums and styles.
Every so often, he uses natural ink and pigment for writing and calligraphy; other times, he uses neon lettering against art-objects, where neon itself becomes artwork.
See. Since the start of its journey in 2016, Brihatta has focused on the creation, and curation of art within the public realm; by establishing a dynamic liaison between artists, craftsman, local & expat community members, and global practitioners to place artwork within a space that achieves shared goals.
Learn. Over the years, it has established dynamic partnerships with local & international schools and universities, by cultivating a process of exchange and alternate learning.
Engage. A member of World Art Foundations, Brihatta believes in the power of interaction & exchange across different creative communities through workshops, residencies, and dialogue.
