War and Peace: A workshop by Bangladeshi artists

 By Pallavi Chattopadhyay 

A large tent made entirely of newspapers welcomes visitors at Akar Prakar gallery with colourful drawings of picturesque landscapes. There are calm rivers, boats quietly floating on their surface, and the brimming sun smiling from far behind. Bringing in a dose of childhood nostalgia, its interiors are full of showpieces and wall hangings made from bright chart papers, newspapers and recycled bottles. It is also the idea of home created by children aged between 10 and 12 at an art workshop held at Walk-Up High School in Dhaka, many of whose parents are auto drivers and garment factory workers. Titled Equilibrium Project, this multimedia installation is 33-year-old artist Marzia Farhana’s work. Farhana spearheaded the workshop and has created a replica of the original house that was showcased at the Dhaka Art Summit last year.