Platforms Gallery showcases emerging Bangladeshi talent with its debut at Tokyo International Art Fair.
With a visionary mission to elevate Bangladeshi art to the global stage, Platforms Gallery is gearing up for its inaugural appearance at the prestigious Tokyo International Art Fair, set to take place on November 29 and 30. The works of three Bangladeshi artists—Auntora Mehrukh Azad, Fakhrul Islam Mazumder Shakil, and Tariqul Islam Herok—will be showcased at this global event.
Art patron and curator Rayana Hossain, founder and managing director of ISHO and Platforms, is committed to amplifying the voices of emerging Bangladeshi artists. Beyond hosting a plethora of artworks on their online platform, Rayana is dedicated to instilling professionalism in the Bangladeshi art industry by signing talented artists and creating new opportunities.
“Internationally, art and creative activities follow a professional structure, which we often lack here,” she remarked. “When I compare emerging global artists to ours, I see equal standards and potential in their works. However, the key difference is exposure. Together, Bangladeshis at home and abroad can help create a global voice for our art.”
Rayana envisions global recognition for Bangladeshi artists. “I hope our artists will gain exposure and appreciation worldwide and establish a standard for Bangladeshi art globally,” she said. “We are also working to create more opportunities beyond art fairs, such as international residency programs and biennales. These efforts will allow us to collaborate with more artists and discover unique Bangladeshi talents.”
On future projects, Rayana shared, “We have an exciting pipeline of artistic ventures, including solo exhibitions and multidisciplinary projects that will come to fruition in the near future.”
Highlights from Platforms Gallery
Platforms Gallery recently hosted Auntora Mehrukh Azad’s solo exhibition, “Solastalgia: Fragments of a Fading Horizon,” exploring climate-induced flooding and the rural-urban dichotomy. Auntora’s works blend internal emotions with observations of landscapes reshaped by human activity and environmental crises, reflecting her experiences growing up in Dhaka, one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable cities.
Auntora holds an MFA and BFA in Drawing and Painting from the University of Dhaka. Her work has been featured in notable events, including the 2023 Dhaka Art Summit, the 2019 Yogyakarta International Art Festival in Indonesia, and the Global Women, Women’s Art Exhibition in Thailand. She has also participated in the Asian Art Biennial and the National Art Exhibition in Bangladesh, among others. Her works are part of esteemed collections such as the Samdani Art Foundation and Imago Mundi: Luciano Benetton Collection.
Mohammed Fakhrul Islam Mazumder, a printmaking artist from Cumilla, has also made his mark on the global stage. A graduate of the University of Dhaka, he has exhibited at events such as the Ulsan International Print Art Festival in South Korea and the 19th Asian Art Biennale in Bangladesh. His accolades include the Excellent Work Award from Yunnan Art University in China and the Lalit Kala Academy Print Biennale Award in India.
Another rising star, Tariqul Islam Herok from Munshiganj, is celebrated for his focus on mythical narratives and folk tales. A top graduate of the University of Dhaka, Herok has received numerous accolades, including the Zainul Abedin Gold Medal and the Best Award (Painting) at the 22nd Young Artists Exhibition.
Platforms has organised a solo art exhibition, ‘Solastalgia: Fragments of a Fading Horizon’ by Auntora Mehrukh Azad at its gallery in Pragati Sarani, Baridhara. The exhibition, which opened on October 19, will run till November 16 from 11 am to 8 pm, for art enthusiasts.
The exhibition delves into the personal and universal experiences of environmental change as seen through the eyes of Auntora, whose deep connection to Bangladesh's rivers and landscapes is reflected in her work. ‘Solastalgia: Fragments of a Fading Horizon’ explores the impact of climate-induced flooding and the tension between rural and urban environments. From the Sundarbans to Dhaka's dense urban fabric, Auntora's works illustrate the convergence of these worlds, blending internal emotions with external observations of a landscape reshaped by human activity and environmental crisis.
Auntora’s creative impulse knows no bounds when something deeply emotional moves her. Growing up in Dhaka, one of the most climate-vulnerable cities in the world, she has witnessed the powerful relationship between our landscape. and water. Bangladesh’s geography, shaped by rivers and monsoons, serves as both a source of life and destruction.
Kanak Chanpa Chakma, Auntora Mehrukh Azad, and Rayana Hossain
“A pivotal moment came in 2018 when I worked with flood-affected communities in Pakuria,” said Auntora. “Immersed in their lives, I began to see the landscape as one reshaped by human influence and negligence. The neon pink waters in my work represent the unnatural, man-made elements of this crisis, exacerbated by climate change - a global issue that hits the most vulnerable hardest.”
The curator of the show, Rayana Hossain, also the Founder and Managing Director of ISHO and Platforms, pointed out, “From the Sundarbans to Dhaka’s dense urban fabric, Auntora’s works reflect the convergence of these worlds, blending internal emotions with external observations of a landscape reshaped by human activity and environmental crisis.”
“Through the imagery of neon waters and floating islands, Auntora captures fragmented yet interconnected stories that reflect the collective experiences of those on the margins of environmental disaster,” mentioned Rayana Hossain.
The exhibition showcases the shifting scales of these transitions. It moves from intimate depictions of flood-affected communities to broader, more abstract landscapes, highlighting the internal and external journeys of displacement and environmental degradation. Each painting extends beyond the frame, symbolising the magnitude of the crisis - far too vast to be confined to canvas.
Auntora is a visual artist whose work explores the evolving relationship between nature and urban life. Through an exaggerated and artificial colour palette, her paintings emphasise the gradual dominance of urbanisation over the natural world. She earned both her MFA and BFA in Drawing and Painting from the Faculty of Fine Art at the University of Dhaka. Her work has been
exhibited in prestigious group exhibitions and art camps globally, including the 2023 Dhaka Art Summit, the 2019 Yogyakarta International Art Festival in Indonesia, and the Global Women’s Art Exhibition 2019 by the Maeying Chiang Rai Artist Group in Thailand. She also participated in the 18th Asian Art Biennial Bangladesh in 2018, the 22nd National Art Exhibition in 2017, the Solo International Art Camp 2 in Indonesia, and Immensity, a student art project curated by Bishwajit Goswami at the Abinta Gallery of Fine Arts in Dhaka in 2018.
Her works are held in several prominent private and corporate collections, including the Samdani Art Foundation (2023), Bangladesh: Creative Density - Contemporary Art of the Golden Bengal, and the Imago Mundi: Luciano Benetton Collection (2016).
Initiated by Platforms, several artworks by three Bangladeshi artists - Auntora, Fakhrul Islam Mazumder Shakil, and Tariqul Islam Herok - will be displayed at the upcoming Tokyo International Art Fair, to be held on November 29 and 30.
