Bangladeshi art

Bangladeshi art has a perennial history which originated more than two thousand years ago and is practiced even to this date.

The recent excavations of the artifacts in the archaeological site of Wari-Bateshwar indicates that the history of Bangladeshi art dates back to 450 BC.

[1] However, more research is being carried out in this regard as these excavations conflict with the earlier notions about the existence of early urban civilization in Bangladesh.

A huge influence of Islamic architecture can be seen in numerous mosques, shrines and mazars located throughout Bangladesh.

Women photographers have also taken up the profession with Taslima Akhter and Jannatul Mawa working on sustained personal projects.

The remains of the ancient archaeological sites bear ample testimony to the fact that the art of architecture was practiced in Bangladesh from very early period of her history.

The Somapura Mahavihara, a creation of the Pala ruler Dharmapala, at Paharpur, Bangladesh, is the largest Buddhist Vihara in the Indian subcontinent, and has been described as a "pleasure to the eyes of the world.

"[2] The Kantajew Temple in Dinajpur, built in navaratna style contains one of the finest examples of terracotta ornamentation of the late period of the art.

Since the inception of Bangladesh, economical advancement has boosted the architecture from its traditional forms to contemporary context.

[6] Unlike other parts of the Indian Subcontinent, the art of sculpture in Bangladesh started through the molding of terracotta because of the dearth of stone relief and abundance of the soft alluvial clay.

In course of time, the influence of north and central India began to grow in the sculptural art of Bangladesh and the introduction of stone sculpting started.

From the early three centuries of the common era, the local sculptors started to make black stone sculptures in the Kusana style, native to northern India.

These sculptures were the images of the deities worshiped by the followers of the three major religions of the time, namely, Brahmanism, Buddhism and Jainism.

In modern times, the theme of sculptural art has been dominated by some historical events, mainly the Bangladesh liberation war.

As in other countries of the world, the people of rustic, and primitive ideas developed folk art in Bangladesh.

Because of this the structure and growth of the folk-art of Bangladesh are filled with pure and simple vigor and the symbolic representations of hope, aspiration and sense of beauty of the rural Bangladeshi folk.

The folk art of Bangladesh has been largely contributed by the rural women because of the aesthetic value as well as the quality of their work.

Many artists went to Europe and Japan for training and came back with new ideas and latest techniques, but they were also steeped in the traditions of indigenous art forms.

Bangladeshi born Tayeba Begum Lipi, Runa Islam, Hasan Elahi, Naeem Mohaiemen, Firoz Mahmud, Professor Mohd.