A three-day international watercolour festival titled ‘Waves of Colors’ began at the Nalinikanta Bhattashali Gallery of the Bangladesh National Museum on Saturtday.
Organised by the International Watercolor Society Bangladesh, the festival features 265 artists from 27 countries, including Bangladesh, China, India, Serbia, Thailand, the USA, Colombia, Russia, Pakistan, the UK, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, Hungary, Spain, Germany, and France.
The festival was inaugurated by the dean of Dhaka University’s faculty of fine arts, professor Md Azharul Islam Sheikh. The founder and president of the International Watercolor Society, Atanur Dogan, and renowned artist Kaoser Hassan Togor attended as special guests. IWS Bangladesh president Md Kauser Hossain, Ronger Gaari founder Mintu Dey, and Jolerdhara fine arts artist Shohag Parvez also spoke at the event.
During the inauguration, Md. Azharul Islam Sheikh noted that watercolour has evolved into a global art movement, and exhibitions like this create vital dialogues and opportunities to exchange thoughts across the globe.
Atanur Dogan stated that IWS Bangladesh plays a vital role in promoting Bangladeshi art, depicting its essence of peace and beauty internationally.
‘The theme perfectly reflects the essence of watercolour—fluidity, the harmony of colours, and the layered nature of emotions. Each artwork in this exhibition is not only a reflection of the artist’s inner world but also an expression of a shared human language,’ Dogan said.
He added that art is a ‘country without borders, languages, or religions,’ and that exchanges between artists are necessary to build global peace.
The curator of the festival in Bangladesh, Md. Kauser Hossain, remarked that watercolour is more than just a medium in the country.
‘Our landscapes are defined by water; watercolour is the perfect language to capture the essence of our heritage and the rhythmic monsoon rains through its fluid, transparent nature,’ he said. He added that by hosting the festival, they are not just displaying art but continuing a storied tradition of storytelling through the flow of pigment and water.
The festival presented awards across various categories, including cityscape and landscape, portrait and figurative, floral and still Life, and stylised and abstract. Awards included the Nevskaya Palitra Award, the Daniel Smith Award, and the Sinours Award.
Among the winners, nine Bangladeshi artists—Prodyut Kumar Bhatta, Israt Zahan, Preety Deb, Rohan Acharjee, Md Rahat, Shingdha Rani Mitra, Md Ashraful Alam, Kaif Amin, and KM Iqbal—were recognised in different categories.
Additionally, artists Mintu Dey and Shohag Parvez were honoured with the IWS Bangladesh Watercolor Master award.
The festival includes live demonstrations by world-class artists, which will take place today at the venue.
The event will conclude tomorrow.
