S Md. Shamim's Searching peace brings in the theme that one has witnessed earlier at Shilpangan. His mixed media work is soothing to the weary urban eye, blase with the numerous simultaneous painting displays in Dhaka. His work brings in female figures in turquoise and pale coral saris. There are geometrical male forms going about their everyday toil in the backdrop. Scenes from the roads, and the houses that line them, have been included in the subtle composition in pastel shades. These include yellow ochre and shades of lilting gray. Shamim has won a first prize from Bafa( Bulbul Academy of Fine Arts), and a gold medal for his metal ventures.

Shyamal Roy Chowdhury, who has seven awards to his credit, has been even more thought- provoking in his venture. His oils on paper and canvas express the fear of havoc, destruction and mindless efforts of man, who is caught in this stressful drive for achieving more and more, in less and less time. He has repeatedly brought in the image of a broken doll, with a blank gaze and keyed up expression, symbolising the idea that man is a puppet in the hands of his egocentric superiors, in society around him. He has used dark, pessimistic colours, with the necessary focus on his subject each time, in his untitled pieces.

M. Akhtaruzzaman Shamol, who won the hearts of art enthusiasts with his entries in the miniature exhibit at "Shilparag", some time back, is here with his amazing creations. They have been done with delicate lines and gentle washes of acrylic on paper. He has, like the cubists, simplified his forms and lent a fine touch like Modigliani and Chagall to his works. Picasso and his mentor Rafiqun Nabi have inspired and molded his style. "The underwater creatures are full of fun and frolic. So, I've used the bright tangerine and gold, along with the pale shades of blue," says Shamol.

"Target we and i", is one Uttam Kumar Roy's mixed media works. In this, as in many of the protests of the younger generation, one gets the message of search for harmony in the environment around us. The larger nations tend to dominate and dictate to the less develop ones, as has been the rule through the ages. The ruination of social values has also been brought into focus. Uttam too has many feathers in his cap, including the Young Artists' Award in 2004.

Salina Haque Lina's "Studies", in oil on canvas, using sombre lines and hues -- representing closed doors and envelopes -- also cry out for socioeconomic and political justice. Abul Khayar's dramatic vermilion and black creations are also well worth viewing.