Aneek Anwar’s Solo Exhibition Captures Moments and Meanings
Photographer Aneek Mustafa Anwar’s Documentary Photography Exhibition in Dhaka Features Five Photojournalism
Part of the exhibition gallery. Photo: Saqlain Rizve
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Part of the exhibition gallery. Photo: Saqlain Rizve
“Subjects transcend their purpose” in the photojournalism of Aneek Mustafa Anwar. Photography and art lovers can discover the best examples of the photographer’s works in Dhaka’s Kala Kendra during the ongoing solo exhibition which is due to end on October 10.
Entitled “The Transient”, the exhibition presents five photographic reports by the artist, based on a variety of themes.
The way Aneek Mustafa Anwar became a photographer resembles the story of Farhan’s character in the famous Bollywood movie “3 Idiots”. In fact, the stories are almost identical.
Like the character in the film, Anwar also became a mechanical engineer, then decided to become a full-time professional photographer after graduating from the country’s leading engineering university, Buet.
A Mechanical Engineering graduate from Buet in 2012, Anwar worked for a private company until 2016 when he finally made the difficult decision to leave the profession. But for the avid photographer, the risk was worth it.
“It was definitely a very risky decision in my life, but it was also the best decision,” Anwar said.
In his quest to master the art, Anwar was awarded the CrossCulture Program (CCP) Fellowship by Germany’s Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa) and is currently Deputy Director of Counter Foto School of Photography in Dhaka, among his other accomplishments.
Photographer Aneek Mustafa Anwar during his solo exhibition The Transient at Kalakendra. Photo_ Saqlain Rizve
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Photographer Aneek Mustafa Anwar during his solo exhibition The Transient at Kalakendra. Photo_ Saqlain Rizve
Capture fleeting moments
Jointly organized by the German Embassy in Dhaka and Kala Kendra, “The Transient” is curated by Wakilur Rahman.
“We perceive ourselves as ephemeral, in a finite span of existence. Our moods, feelings, perceptions and experiences are all ephemeral. In Aneek’s photographs, subjects transcend their lens and help shape scenarios where this what we’re seeing is “the time we’re living in,” Rahman said.
Elements captured in Anwar’s photographic reports include the vibrant colors of Rajasthan, the state cinemas of Bangladesh, quiet afternoons in Berlin, and memories of the photographer’s grandmother.
Anwar captured moments from the annual Pushkar Mela in Rajasthan, India in 2017 when he attended a photography workshop by eminent photographer and photojournalist Raghu Rai.
He captured the scenes of traditional Rajasthani foods, religious rituals, dance and other cultural activities at Pushkar Mela. In dozens of his photographs, the scenes of disguised horses, saints, monks and women in colorful traditional dresses reflect the splendor of Rajasthan.
“The Celluloid Story,” a series that Anwar also launched in 2017, documents the decline in movie theater business in Bangladesh.
The series was inspired by the photographer’s own experience, as he watched the cinema in his hometown Khulna slowly close its doors.
“People of all ages used to go to the cinema at least once a week. The cinema hall started losing its audience and at some point the owner was forced to tear it down in 2017” , the photographer said of the theater in his hometown. .
Since then, Anwar has been documenting movie theaters, and the story is part of the exhibit.
The story “Urban Jungle” shows happy moments of visitors in a park in Dhaka, and “Berlin 2019” is a collection of photos Anwar took during his three-month stay in Germany for his CCP scholarship.
The story of “Berlin 2019” shows roads, parks, women and parties in the historic European city.
In ‘Remembrance’, Anwar seeks to capture the memories of his late grandmother by documenting the objects she used in her daily life.
“People in our grandparents’ generations didn’t have too many clothes or other possessions. In fact, they only used the necessary things. I made this story a few days before and after the death of grand -mother,” he said.
The exhibition started on September 23 and will end on October 10.
TBS Picks: A selection of photographs from the show with a description of the photographer
Photo caption: Photographer Aneek Mustafa Anwar Photo: Saqlain Rizve
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Photo caption: Photographer Aneek Mustafa Anwar Photo: Saqlain Rizve
Urban Jungle: A man poses with statues of disney animation characters Shrek, Fiona and Donkey in a park in Dhaka.
