Preparations are in full swing at the Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University ahead of the celebration of Bengali New Year. The faculty premises have become lively with spontaneous participation from current and former students.
As part of the preparations, various paintings by students this time feature pop culture and characters familiar to the ‘Gen-Z’ generation.
Like every year, students are depicting various elements of folk culture on paper and clay saras (decorative trays). The money raised by selling these items to visitors is used to collect necessary materials for the New Year celebration.
However, this year, alongside folk art, the clay saras also feature characters from pop culture and Japanese anime.
Visiting the Charukola premises on Monday, it was seen that various clay saras depict characters widely known to the Gen-Z generation, such as Spider-Man, Doraemon, Shinnosuke Nohara (Shin-chan), and Toru Kazama. Students are working in groups. Teachers and former students are providing necessary guidance to assist them.
Regarding this, Arnob, a student of the 71st batch of the Faculty of Fine Arts and student coordinator of the New Year celebration sub-committee, said, “Artists are now working according to their own preferences and thoughts, moving away significantly from the traditional style and characteristics of sara painting. In this case, they are not bound to follow any specific rules and regulations.”
He told TIMES of Bangladesh, “Various types of paintings, including landscapes, are now being done on saras as well. What used to be painted on canvas or paper before, many are now depicting on saras.”
Sazedul Hossain, a student of the Sculpture Department, said, “None of us are actually outside the touch of modernity. This time too, an attempt is being made to create a fusion between folk culture and pop culture.”
He said, “However, this time too, elements of folk culture will be seen more.”
