Under the title "In the Quest of Tranquility", a solo exhibition showcasing the works of renowned artist Maksuda Iqbal Nipa is currently being held at Gallery Kalidas, located in the Korean Export Processing Zone (KEPZ) in Chattogram. Ambassador Farooq Sobhan recently inaugurated the exhibition. Also in attendance at the opening ceremony were Kihak Sung, chairman and chief executive officer of Youngone Corporation; Chung Sye-Kyun, the former prime minister of South Korea; along with ambassadors from different countries. This exhibition will remain open until February 28.

Maksuda Iqbal Nipa is recognised as one of the passionate painters from the late 1990s, and she consistently endeavours to maintain a low profile. She approaches her creative endeavours with great seriousness and has developed a personal artistic language characterised by a unique style. The deep layers of colour impart a distinctive texture to her canvases, which is why they bear a unique signature. Her artwork expresses the essence of colour and conveys its true significance. This method is both rich and labour-intensive, demanding considerable effort and dedication. Her quest for beauty, along with her reflections on human nature and the often-overlooked aspects of the natural world, has inspired her to create these images.

Vivid colours, adaptable brush techniques, and captivating visuals are key features in the extraordinary works of Maksuda Iqbal Nipa, a gifted artist who has been tirelessly striving to establish a distinct presence within Dhaka's art scene. She adeptly merges emotion with intellect in her creations, which are believed to draw from abstract expressionism. The wealth of vibrant shades and dynamic textures imparts a lively and luminous essence to her artworks.

Nipa, a thoughtful and creative painter, derives her colours from nature, making colour the most vital component of her artworks. She takes pleasure in exploring colour in all its various forms. Nipa applies colour directly, layering it generously on the canvas. These layers give her work a distinctive quality, which is why her canvases carry a unique signature. Her emphasis has been on the use of colours. The rich layers of colour provide an unparalleled texture to her canvas, creating a unique hallmark. Her paintings convey the essence of colour and its true importance. Throughout the years, Nipa has refined this technique, which is both expensive and labour-intensive, requiring significant effort and commitment.

Nipa has aimed to capture the beauty of nature in transient moments. She has mainly relied on the hues of nature as her primary source of inspiration for her motifs and forms. Her pursuit of beauty and reflection on nature has enabled her to portray a lively and joyful representation of nature in her paintings. The poetry inherent in nature stirs a deep sensitivity within her, allowing her to sense and interpret the sounds, colours, and rhythms that envelop her. The delicacy of her lines, which are extremely fine and scribbled, along with her colour palette, are influenced by the natural world and has evolved from a more traditional style to abstractions that amplify broad vistas and creativity.

Nipa places significant emphasis on spatial utilisation, adeptly highlighting texture in accordance with the aesthetic requirements of her paintings. These pieces express emotion and sentiment in a manner that the artist aims to be universally understandable, while maintaining a non-figurative approach. The artist utilises vibrant colours, including azure, yellow, emerald green, mauve, and crimson. Her keen observation of the shades provided by nature is a particularly captivating aspect of her creations, where colours manifest in a variety of remarkable forms.

Nipa demonstrates a high level of integrity in her use of art materials. She utilises costly, long-lasting, and resilient materials that are essential components of a canvas. Additionally, she places significant emphasis on the careful selection of materials and the meticulous application process. In her view, art materials serve as a form of embellishment for her paintings. Moreover, the careful application and gathering of these premium materials enhance the longevity of a canvas.

Nipa places significant emphasis on the preparation of a canvas, the choice of fabrics for the canvas, and the quality of stretchers. Additionally, she recommends her personal frame vendor to supply high-quality frames for her canvases. During her travels abroad, she even acquired various foldable stretchers to guarantee the excellence of her canvases. Nipa believes that the painting process commences with a stretcher, canvas materials or support, art supplies, and the framing of the canvas.

It is evident that Nipa has now engaged herself with vibrant colours to highlight the internal expressions of intangible structures. Her colours and textures distinctly convey a sense of peace and harmony. She aims to create a psychological narrative. She intends to produce artworks that not only depict our physical appearance but also encapsulate our mental, emotional, and spiritual conditions. The artist appreciates her choice of materials, which are seemingly well-balanced and technically impressive.

The writer is an art critic and cultural curator