Pictured H.E. Sheikh Mohammed Belal and spouse Dr Dilruba Nasrin.
By Roy Lie A Tjam.
The auditorium of the Embassy of Bangladesh in The Hague served as the venue for a solo art exhibition from 19 to 23 May 2016.
Mr. Istiaque Ahmed, Second Secretary at the Embassy of Bangladesh, welcomed the Ambassadors and other guests to the inauguration of an exhibition by Bangladeshi artist Khurshid Saleem, who has been residing in the USA for many years.
For additional Jan van der Loos’ picturs, please open the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157668470606792
Subsequently, H.E. Sheikh Mohammed Belal, Ambassador of Bangladesh to the Netherlands, officially opened the exhibition. In his inaugural speech Ambassador Belal recounted the time he met Mr. Khurshid Saleem during his stint in Washington D.C. The Ambassador was delighted to see his long-held desire to organize an exhibition featuring Mr. Saleem finally materializing in The Hague.
In his address to guests, the Ambassador introduced the rich heritage and culture of Bangladesh to the audience. Describing Bangladesh as a melting pot of races, Ambassador Belal shared his perspective on how the deep rooted heritage of Bangladesh was reflected in the country’s architecture, literature, dance, drama, music and painting. “Like a colourful montage, the cultural tradition of Bangladesh is a happy blend of many variants, unique in diversity but in essence greatly symmetrical,” the Ambassador observed.
Mr. Khurshid Saleem in his remarks thanked the audience and expressed his gratitude for having his works on display in the Netherlands – a country of many artistic masters. Mr. Saleem also thanked the Embassy for the initiative. He briefly walked through the evolution of Bangladeshi art in the modern era. “Art for me – like nature itself – is a source of hope and inspiration. By bringing this internalized experience out on the canvas, I invite my viewers to imbue themselves with the same exhilaration and promise,” he explained.
Saleem, mainly deals with majestic nature in an abstract way. He finds inspiration in the tiniest details of nature: a drop of rain water, a falling autumn leaf or an stoke of white in a blue sky. He consciously depicts nature in high-pitched colours to bring a new tune, sing a new song or tell a new story. His art primarily depicts humanism in all its shades and colours.
Khurshid Alam Saleem, affectionately referred to as the bimurto shilpi, is not only a recognized freelance painter based in USA, but his creative works also took him in the land of Forbidden City in 2008. Mr. Saleem represented both Bangladesh and the USA in the Beijing Olympic Art Exhibition 2008, which nominated 300 artists from 80 countries across the world as “Excellent Artists of the World.” Each artist was given an Olympic gold medal, a representation of an Olympic torch and a certificate. Mr. Saleem’s painting, “Forbidden City Colour and Olympics” made it to the final selection.
The Ambassadors of Croatia, India and Palestine to the Netherlands, EU representative to the OPCW, IOM representatives, art lovers from the diplomatic corps, local dignitaries, members of the press and media and the members of the Bangladesh community were all in attendance at the reception that followed the official opening.
