A day-long children’s art workshop titled ‘Chobi Akar Mela’, organised by Borno Art Academy at the Ramna Park of the city on Friday, aims to introduce nature.

In the workshop conducted by the director of the academy, visual artist Fatema Akter Bristy, a total of 35 students explored the natural beauty of the park – including the lake, trees, flowers, animals and the greenery – with visitors.

They also created paintings at the workshop while renowned artist Abdul Mannan attended as an honourable guest and child psychologist-researcher Afsana Yesmen Aurthi was present as a special guest at the event.

Their paintings depicted landscape, greenery, still life, butterflies, birds, flowers and objects of the park where they used various mediums including pen, pencil, watercolour and pastel on paper.

Abdul Mannan said that the city has become polluted and the children are stuck in the buildings, which has created a distance from nature and disrupted their development.

He also said that the entertainment now is technology-centred, which creates alienation from human activities and distance from nature.

Afsana Yesmen Aurthi said that children need good health and confidence instead of rapid urbanisation and gadget-based childhood.

‘Viewing the sky through a window is not the same as seeing it in an open and similarly children who experience nature only through television and books, rather than real-life observation, struggle to adapt to the natural world,’ she said, adding that drawing helps children gain confidence as they grow.

Organiser Fatema Akter Bristy said that the event marks the 12th founding anniversary of the academy which has run its activity at Khilgaon in the city since 2014.