Gallery Plat-forms is hosting ‘Beyond the Veil’ – 3rd solo exhibition by M F I Mazumder Shakil. In this exhibition, the artist presents the ancient medium of woodcut in a fresh, contemporary artistic form. A total of 24 woodcut prints are on display which includes 8 large-scale works.
The exhibition began on November 9 and has now been extended until December 13, with visiting hours from 11 am to 8pm.
As noted by Gallery Plat-forms, in ‘Beyond the Veil’, Shakil revives the long-format woodcut to explore a world both intimate and exclusive. Through sweeping panels in amber, midnight blue, and stark monochrome, a woman emerges through fabric, fold and shadow.
The veil becomes a threshold rather than concealment, inviting us to see without seeing. Each cut and layer conjures the textures of cloth and memory, secrecy and freedom. Part portrait, part landscape of the unseen.
Beyond the veil transcends identity to question how we perceive, what lies hidden. Rooted in tradition yet distinctly contemporary. Shakil’s work reimagines the politics of visibility and expands the language of global printmaking.
“My work is primarily in printmaking – specifically woodcut. I begin by drawing on plywood or any other board, then carve the block using woodcut tools based on the distribution of light and shadow.
After that, I apply ink to the block with a roller through various processes, and finally transfer the print onto paper. Depending on the size, completing a single piece can take several months,” explains Shakil.
“I have participated in various exhibitions, art camps, and art fairs both in Bangladesh and abroad. In the future, I plan to organize solo exhibitions outside the country as well.
In recent times, young artists in Bangladesh have been tirelessly pursuing creative practice, and their works have already received significant recognition on the international stage.
However, the overall acceptance of fine arts within the country has yet to reach the desired level. I remain hopeful that with proper patronage and support, our artists will be able to present Bangladesh’s artistic heritage to the world with even greater distinction,” the artist further adds.
Mohammed Fakhrul Islam Mazumder, a Bangladeshi artist born in Comilla in 1989. He completed his M.F.A and B.F.A in Printmaking from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Dhaka University in 2016 and in 2014.
Mazumder has held two solo exhibitions— “Obscure Beauty” (GalleryChitrak, 2023) and “The Odyssey of the Soul” (Zainul Gallery, 2018). His art has been showcased widely across Asia,Europe, and Australia, including major exhibitions in Japan, China, Thailand, Korea, India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.
He has received numerous national and international awards such as the 26th Berger Young Painters’ Award (2022), Excellent Works Award, COP15 Global Art & Design Competition, China (2022), 2nd International Print Biennale Award, India (2021), and the Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Award (2019).
Mazumder’s works are part of collections at the China Printmaking Museum, Ino-cho Paper Museum (Japan), Bengal Foundation, and Lalit Kala Academy (India). He has also participated in several artist residencies, including the Chitrashala International Artist Residency in India and Kali Artist Residency at Cosmos Atelier 71, Bangladesh.
Currently, Mazumder continues to experiment with layers of print, texture, and form to reflect the subtle interplay between the visible and the unseen.
Through this exhibition, Shakil opens a new doorway not only to beauty but also to perception. His works, imprinted with the labor of hand-carved marks on solid wood surfaces, unfold into a poetry of light and shadow.
This exhibition is part of Gallery Plat-forms’ commitment to presenting Bangladeshi artists who bring together heritage and contemporaneity, offering them anew to the global stage.
Written by Tasmiah Chowdhury
Photo Credits
Sarmin Akter lina
Gallery plat-Forms
