Khaled Hasan wins Samdani Arts Award

Documentary photographer Khaled Hasan clinched the ?Samdani Artist Development Award? and young? artist Musrat Reazi won ?Samdani Young Art Talent Award? at the closing ceremony of the four-day Dhaka Art Summit, held on Sunday at the Main Hall of Bangladesh National Museum.

Information and cultural affairs minister Abul Kalam Azad handed over awards to the winners, as chief guest. French art historian Gerard Xuriguera was present as special guest at the programme. Internationally acclaimed artist Shahabuddin Ahmed, Bangladesh National Museum director general Prakash Chandra Das, DAS director Nadia Samdani, among others, spoke at the programme, which was presided over by the museum trustee board chairman Azizur Rahman.
Khaled Hasan?s award winning artwork titled ?Terror Beat of Acid? was a part of his recent series work on acid victims/survivors showing blurred portraits of women who were acid victim/survivor.? The artwork is done by photograph print-outs on fabrics. ?Such a prestigious award will work as a catalyst, enhancing my inspiration in addressing social issues and crisis.? said Hasan.
A graduate from the South Asian Media Academy and Photojournalism (Pathshala) in 2009, Hasan won various prestigious international awards including Mark Grosset Documentary Prize, UNESCO?s Humanity Photo Documentary Award, View Book Photo Story Documentary Jury Prize, All Roads Photography Contest of National Geography Society among others. He is now studying at the Ateneo de Manila University in Philippines. His prize money is Taka 10 lac.
Graduated from the drawing and painting department of Government Art College, Chittagong, in 2008, Musrat Reazi?s award wining acrylic work titled ?Moorang? is part of her recent series work of the same title on the struggling life of ethnic Morang community in Chittagong Hill Tracts.
Reazi?s slightly blurry artwork depicts figures of Morang people and various animals, both struggling for existence.?At present she is an assistant teacher at Khagrachari Government High School, Chittagong and also an MFA student at the drawing and painting department of University of Development Alternative.
?Now I am working on the life and struggle of Chakma and Marma ethnic communities, highlighting their tough access to education? added Reazi.
Reazi also clinched AB Bank Award at the 18th National Art Exhibition and various academic awards during her student life. Her prize money is Taka 5 lac.
A six member international jury panel comprising of curator of Tate Modern, Kyla McDonald, Art Asia Pacific editor and publisher, Elaine W Ng, Indian artists, Ravinder Reddy and Bose Krishnamachari, art historian and critic, Deepak Ananth, and eminent Bangladeshi artist Shahabuddin Ahmed, selected the two winners from among 29 selected artists. Earlier, DAS steering committee, lead by artist Muniruzzaman, selected these 29 artworks from among the 449 submitted artworks, by 249 artists of Bangladesh.
The pioneer DAS was organised by SAF, in association with Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and Bangladesh National Museum. City Bank American Express was the title sponsor of the summit.
Khaled Hasan is a contributing photographer to Majority World.
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