The painters of Chittagong have established a distinctive trend, which is sliglr tly different from that of Dhaka. Most of these artists' paintings are basically figurative. With their figurative canvas they present their messages. And with a very fewexception, they are narrative in approach.

This is tire leitmotif of an exhibition of an artistic trio-.

Haleema Ahmed, Slraela Shannin and Sabira Shahinur Pallabi, all of whom studied painting at Department of Fine Arts at ChittagongUniversi ty.

The painting exhibition began on April 2, at Zainul Gallery and will continue till April 7.

Each of their canvases is an individual novel, which presents the society as well as the psyche and emotion of human being. They sei ectwarm coloursfortheircanvases.

SraelaSharmin has displayedaseriesoffive paintings titled

H>r Another Beginning Each pain tingofthe scries hinges on a happy family environment where tire wife dreams of a better future and another baby. In every acrylic canvas, she has used warm colours like pink and yellow to portray three figures-a wife,ahusbandandachild-inthemidstofnature.

Sabira Shahinur Pallabi has exhibiting two series- three pieces of Prom Beginning to the End series and four pieces of DearFriendscnes.

Each of the Pallabi's series is figurative White colourplays a very important role in her canvas. In her Dear Friend series she has caught the importance of the bond of friendship by the use ofsymboliewirite color. On theother hand, her From the Beginning to the End series delivers a strong message-How much freedom do we get in our restricted life? Society has always tried to restrict our emotion. Here again to show hope in the midst of danger she has used white colour on her acrylic canvas.The other interesting aspect ofher works is the useofmixed shades.

Hal eemaAhmed'sstyie is partly different from theothers. Instead of human images, chairs play a key role in delivering her message. She has created the environment of human beings by portraying chair, wine bottle, shoes and other day to day used materials on the acrylic canvas However, there is no human figure in the paintings Black, ash, and different shades of yellow are prominent in her paintings She has portrayed some emotions such as helplessness, hopelessness and others. Each and every balloon, empty wine bottle, vacuum circles arc very significant in her Time of Emptiness series, which in cludefour pain tings

In Halecma's The Lowest series of two paintings, she has delivered the message that we are living in the world minus hope.

Her Happy Valentine canvas is a single work through which she has portrayed the bomb blast at TSC, Dhaka University on Valentine's Day. What is eye catching in her workis the use of many shoes and symbolic red colours on the acrylic canvas to portray the heinous act of the evil doers on tliatparticular day.