(As is painting, so is poetry)

-- Horace, Roman poet

(circa 13 BCE)

It is often said that paintings are poetry on canvas. Correspondingly, poets create visions and images with words. The two arts have been wedded in the critical mind for ages. Poets and painters have turned to each other for inspiration and the result has been mutually beneficial; for instance, Allen Ginsberg's Cezanne's Ports, inspired by Paul Cezanne's oil on canvas L'Estaque. A sizeable number of artwork, inspired by literature, has been produced over the centuries.

As part of the two-day National Poetry Festival 2007, National Poetry Council and Gallery Chitrak are holding a painting exhibition. The exhibition was opened on February 18 at Chitrak's Dhanmondi gallery and features 37 paintings by noted and upcoming painters. Each painting deals with, tries to visualise or explores a rousing poem.

The exhibition is dedicated to the memories of poet Shamsur Rahman and artist Nitun Kundu. Veteran journalist, writer Faiz Ahmed was the chief guest at the inauguration. Special guests were Zohra Rahman and Falguni Kundu. The event was presided over by Rabiul Hossain, president of National Poetry Council. Among others speaking on the occasion were eminent poets Belal Chowdhury, Rafiq Azad, Habibullah Siraji (convenor of the poetry festival's organising committee), Samudra Gupta (general secretary of the poetry council) and artist Muniruzzaman.

Speaking on how the exhibition came about, artist Kanak Chanpa Chakma said, "Rabiul Hossain, on behalf of National Poetry Council, presented the idea in late January and we were keen on it. We were given around 15 days to get the paintings done. I chose Ohey Shakuntal by Muhammad Samad, mainly because my favourite subject is life in the hill tracts and the poem mentions hills and nature."

Kanak Chanpa's painting (acrylic on canvas) shows an indigenous woman looking across the distance. Cobalt blue sky and blue-grey hills define the horizon.

The highlight of the exhibition is perhaps a painting by Nitun Kundu paired up with Shamsur Rahman's E Shohor. Lines like E Shohor khudhakei nihshongo bastob jeney dhulaye goraye, e shohor paltan-er mathey chhotey...protokhkho lorai korey bohuroopi nekrer shathey...are accompanied by overlapping geometric shapes in blue, light green and orange.

A good number of the paintings are inspired by poems on Dhaka. Chandra Shekhar Dey has used excerpts from Rabindra Gope's poetic ode to our city. Riveting words are visualised through decaying brown facades of the city that has a witnessed a few centuries.

Ranjit Das' painting on Hasan Hafiz's Hridoybashini Dhaka highlights the artist's familiar swirling movements and shades -- subtle orange, vermilion yellow and white. Accompanying excerpts read Ekhono hawni tumi tilottoma...tao tumi ontorgoto labonye ujjol.

Other works by seasoned artists include Hashem Khan's take on poet Rabiul Hossain's Priyo Brikhkhogulo, Rafiqun Nabi's painting inspired by Syed Shamsul Haq's Amar Shohor, Abdus Shakoor Shah's artwork on Faiz Ahmed's Bidrohi Ek Rudro Dhaka and Farida Zaman's vision of Khaleda Edib Chowdhury's Modhyoraat-er Dhaka Tumi Mayabi Shohor. The exhibition will continue throughout this month.

The National Poetry Festival was inaugurated yesterday at Dhaka University by celebrated poet and playwright Syed Shamsul Haq. National Poetry Council has been organising the festival for last 20 years. This year around 200 Bangladeshi poets and a number of poets from other countries including Nirendranath Chakrabarti, Samarendra Sen Gupta, Kamol De Sarkar, Syed Hasnat Jalil, Arne Johnson, Niklas Soderberg, Henrick C Enboham and Clara Diesen are taking part in the festival.