#Title

‘SYNTHETIC REALITY’

Javed Jalil’s artistic inquiry into mind’s mechanism
What defines a thought? Is it a solitary idea or several notions intertwined within themselves? Can a thought exist in isolation? Perhaps, thoughts are hardly innate, rather they are perceived uniquely in a continuous chaotic dialogue within the mind.
Reflecting on the exhibition, Javed told The Daily Star, “The exhibition seamlessly integrates into my daily existence. It provides a stage for my artistry while I stay immersed in the next phase.”
PHOTOS:
THABIT AL BASHAR & COURTESY
FAHIN RAHMAN AUNGKITA
Javed Jalil’s second solo exhibition, Synthetic Reality provokes one to engage in an existential crisis with the reality of thoughts. With a series of 27 paintings made using oil and dry media on canvas, the exhibition is the first part of his project labeled “The RED”.
Lit up in a warm and soft hue of red, a journey through the gallery hall is a stimulating experience. In the same palette of red, white, and grey with accents of yellow and black, every piece of art unravels an eventful arena accompanied by short titles to give the viewer a headway to their train of thought.
Upon entering the gallery, one would be greeted with Observer Being Observed , then Movement of Thought followed by Lonely Question , Touch of a Dragonfly , Unknown Acquaintance , and more, in the journey through paintings. The exhibition revolves around the idea that thought is not natural, it is inherently artificial- hence the tag “synthetic” in the title.
Last Friday (July 12), a warm inauguration ceremony was held at Kalakendra with tea and snacks. The special guests included Mubin S Khan, deputy editor of The Business Standard, and Sohel Rahman, an I/O psychologist and managing director of Asian Tiger Capital Holdings. Javed Jalil, a regular of Kalakendra’s artistic ventures, was responsible for every detail of the exhibition, from selecting the pieces to arranging the lighting and placement. This is one exhibition where the artist took care of everything without a curator.
Mubin S Khan described the exhibition as the heart of Javed’s imagination, revealing his mind clearly. Sohel Rahman was pleasantly surprised by the techniques and composition of the artworks. He said, “His technique is extraordinary, making oil paintings look like charcoal, pastels, and pencil drawings. Javed also achieves perfection in the deliberate distortion of the paintings.”
Distortion is evident in the paintings of Synthetic Reality , with crosshatching elements, animal figures, and exaggerated human features. The art gives thoughts a larger-than-life presence with bold lines, timid textures, and fluid shapes.
The artist said, “If you view something under a microscope, something mundane may suddenly seem monstrous to us yet nothing in it has changed except the view. My work is a projection of how we choose to define the monstrosity.”
The paintings, from Mating of a Pen to Barb Wire Driving , vary widely in focus. Complementing the paintings is a video installation reflecting the simultaneity of thought. Though conceptually diverse, the artworks explore how the human mind works. Javed compares it to driving, where multiple thoughts merge, making it hard to separate one from another.
Reflecting on the exhibition, Javed told The Daily Star, “The exhibition seamlessly integrates into my daily existence. It provides a stage for my artistry while I stay immersed in the next phase. I envision Synthetic Reality as an ongoing exploration, with ‘The RED’ marking just its initial chapter.”
The exhibition is set to run from July 12 to 27 at Kalakendra, Lalmatia, from 4pm to 8pm daily.