Confluence: Celebrating India Bangladesh Printmaking was a show with multiple narratives, aimed at fostering a collective appreciation for the medium of printmaking. It honoured the dedicated practitioners of the past and present, highlighted the creative potential of the medium, and encouraged broader patronage beyond art connoisseurs. The exhibition explored the journey of printmakers, celebrating the laborious yet fulfilling process behind each print and the emotional and historical significance it carried. Twenty-four contemporary artists from India and Bangladesh came together, reflecting on the shared history, aesthetics, and pedagogical roots of printmaking in the two nations. Rare works by masters like Safiuddin Ahmed and Somnath Hore were displayed alongside tributes to Akbar Padamsee and Kalidas Karmakar, enriching the exhibition’s historical and cultural depth. The exhibition was supported by the Savara Foundation for the Arts, which lent unseen works of Somnath Hore and endorsed the initiative as its Outreach Partner. It also featured a remarkable portfolio of limited-edition prints created by participating artists to introduce new collectors to the medium. Workshops, demonstrations, slide talks, and video presentations encouraged a deeper understanding of printmaking and its evolution as an independent medium of art. This collaboration was made possible through the vision of Prof. Nisar Hossain, co-curator and Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka, and the guidance of the Multiple Encounters Group, whose warm relationships with artists from both nations formed the foundation of this project. Confluence celebrated the resilience of printmakers and their dedication to keeping the medium alive. The exhibition was a tribute to the remarkable history and survival of printmaking in the era of technology. It offered audiences an opportunity to reflect on its creative potential while paying homage to the great printmakers whose works helped establish the medium as an autonomous form of art.

ARTISTS

India

Ajit Seal | Ananda Moy Banerji | Anant Nikam | Dattatreya Apte | Kavita Nayar | Moti Zharotia | Salil Sahni | Sukhvinder Singh | Surender K Mishra | Sushanta Guha | Vijay Bagodi | Walter D’Souza

Bangladesh

Anisuzzaman | Mahmudul Haque | Monirul Islam | Nagarbasi Barman | Rafiqun Nabi | Rashid Amin | Rokeya Sultana | S. M. Roknuzzaman | Saidul Haque Juise | Shahid Kabir | Syed Abul Barq Alvi | Wakilur Rahman