A weeklong terracotta exhibition -- featuring works of teachers and students of the department of Ceramics, Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA), Dhaka University — is on at Zainul Gallery-2.

The inauguration of the exhibition was presided over by eminent artist Professor Rafiqun Nabi, Dean of FFA. Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique was the chief guest. Professor Matlub Ali of Drawing and Painting

department of FFA and art critic Moinuddin Khaled were special guests at the inaugural programme on May 3.

Participating artists include teachers of Ceramics department, FFA — Assistant Professor and also Chairman of the department Md. Robiul Islam, Assistant Professor Swapan Kumar Sikder and Assistant Professor Ad. Azharul Islam Sheikh — and students — Sunzida Meherin, Soumitra Biswas, Md. Nadimuzzaman Bhuiyan, Suman Kumer Borhal, Rajib Kumar Saha and Mohammad Robiul Hossain.

Two experimental compositions mark Robiul Islam's work while Swapan Kumar Sikder has delicately combined local terracotta with metallic colour without using any chemical in his works "Love-1" and “2”. In two of his glazed abstract works, Azharul Islam Sheikh has depicted various geometric forms and shapes along with imaginative figures.

Influences of the motifs of the Kantaji Temple terracotta are noticeable in the students' works. Maharaja Pran Nath commissioned the temple in Dinajpur in 1722. The construction of the temple was finished in 1752 during the rule of Majaraja Ramnath. Kantaji terracotta influenced notable works by Robiul Islam are Nou-bihar (river cruise) of Radha-Krishna and shikar (hunting) of Mughal Emperor Akbar.

Aside from this, several studies of antique sculptures including Gautam Buddha, Durga, Bishnu, Matshya Kumar etc by the students are on display. Rajib Kumar Saha has done the study of Buddha from Emperor Ashoka's time.

Suman Kumer has done a Bengali calligraphy that reads “Bishwey ja kichhu mohan

shristi chiro kolyankor, ordhek tar goriachhey nari ordhek tar nor,” an excerpt from National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam's work.

Nadimuzzaman's relief works feature several figures from Indian mythology along with an Arabic calligraphy articulating “Sura Fatiha" from the Holy Quran.

Several other realistic and improvised folk-themed works like “Vulture” (white clay), “Parrot,” "Kingfisher," “Woodpecker,” “Owl,” “Butterfly,” "Elephant," “Horse,” Bird” and "Nature” by the students are also on display.

The exhibition ends on May9at8pm.