WEEKLONG hand painted pottery exhibition by Sadia Haseen opened at a simple ceremony on April 2 evening at Haseen Gallery, Gulshan. Noted painter Hashem Khan opened the show.

This solo exhibition delicately decorated and ingeniously painted earthen potteries of different shapes and sizes. They include small earthen pots, moderate and larger size flower vases, desk lamps and plant stands. These exquisitely done decorative pieces are meant to enhance aesthetic beauty of interior decorations. Dominance of brilliant colour in Sadia's work would easily fire one's dream and fancy. Aithough she has no formal education in painting, Sadia's potteries paintings are examples of her creative prom-

ise. Her smaller potteries capture simple and familiar designs and motifs. Giant vases provide canvas for figurative paintings narrating Hindu mythological and Arabian tales. One such painting portrayed the Radha-Krishna amorous story at Brindaban. Another piece shows Rajstani men and women constructing their home.

There are three pieces under Omar Khayam series in the exhibition. They depict three scenes of Khayam's tale. One portrays Omar Khayam who laments his beloved's death while another image shows

institutional background in painting, she possesses that courage and ability required to turn an ordinary earthen pot in to an art piece," he remarked while inaugurating the show.

Sadia has been painting since her childhood as an amateur painter. She used to greet her father, returning home from a long out of town trip, with a gift of her own usually a drawing. She has been inspired to carry on her creative work both by her parents and other family members. "I could come this far only because of the constant help and encouragement I received for my work from all of my family members," Sadia said. She received her primary lesson in pottery painting from Shahruk Shahid. The present collection of pottery is an outcome of her hobby to give her own hand painted pottery to family members during last 10

him as a passionate lover adoring his beloved in association with book, wine and music.

In one of Arabian images, an old milkman is giving milk from his to some hungry people. Such another piece captures an Arabian old man sitting on a cozy cushion with his smoking pipe (huka) beside him.

Two other images in this group narrate a scene of busy market place crowded with sellers and shoppers and another scene that depicts a group of people gossiping and making merry. These images are glimpses of Arabian culture. It's again a love scene in which

Shakuntala is seen being wooed by her suitor in the bower.

When asked for his observation on Sadia's works, Hashem Khan, chief guest at the inauguration, told the Daily Star, "Her work is quite fine with a creative zest. But it would be better if she tries to be more original while depicting images. She could choose rural landscape and our familiar phenomenon as the themes of her art works. I don't say it's necessary. For being an artist, institutional lesson is not an inevitable prerequisite. What make one an artist are inner senses, urge and vision."

"Though she does not have an

years.

"I prefer landscape to figure in my work. In fact I intended to portray our own folk culture and landscape along with other subjects but I could not manage time to do so. My aim is to incorporate painted pottery with interior designing," Sadia told this reporter.

Sadia, Masters in Nutrition Science, has obtained a one-year diploma in Interior Decoration from Kolkata.