The Other Voice: Art as an act of resistance

While Dhaka often hosts conversations on gender equality, there is a clear gap between talking about empowerment and actually seeing it realised. In an art scene still dominated by male voices, The Other Voice (Onnoshawr) offers a unique perspective by bringing together works by 35 women artists.

The exhibition moves beyond the language of panels and policy discussions into the visceral terrain of female creation. Presented by the Bengal Arts Programme at Bengal Shilpalay, the 25-day showcase—running until 17 January—draws from the Bengal Foundation and Abul Khair Collection. In doing so, it asserts that the female perspective is not merely a thematic category, but a force that has shaped, and continues to shape, Bangladeshi art.

Walking into the exhibition without much prior context, the meaning of the title becomes apparent almost immediately. The Other Voice is not simply about the gender of the artists. It reveals itself in the use of colour, the treatment of form, and the overall atmosphere—one that reflects a way of seeing long sidelined in the mainstream narrative.

At the entrance, three paintings rendered in bold neon tones set the mood. One depicts a woman reclining in a living room, an image that feels like a time capsule of urban domestic spaces from the 1990s and early 2000s.

We are accustomed to understanding history through the eyes of those who documented it—most often men. This exhibition demands a shift in perspective. It captures periods we believe we already know, but reframes them through a female lens, centring the domestic, the private, and the quiet transformations that take place within the home.

Women-only exhibitions have long been a subject of debate among feminist historians. Some argue that separating artists by gender risks re-victimising them, reducing their identity to the very marker that once marginalised them. There is a lingering concern: does placing women in a separate category imply that they cannot compete on equal footing within a so-called "general" canon?

Yet by positioning well-known figures alongside lesser-represented artists, The Other Voice draws attention to women whose careers were cut short or whose bodies of work remained small. Many were overlooked due to the absence of academic research or because they worked in the shadows of more celebrated male contemporaries. To continue ignoring them would be to accept a distorted version of art history.

The exhibition pays close attention to how these women practised, how they engaged with one another, and how they organised themselves to make their work visible. It makes clear that their technical choices and thematic concerns were not incidental or purely personal, but integral to the development of Bangladesh's broader art movement.

What occasionally felt uneven in an otherwise thoughtful curation was the spatial coordination of the works. With 35 distinct voices sharing the space, some sections appeared visually dense.

That said, coherence may never have been the primary aim. Allowing each artist to speak in her own language—even when those voices clash in style or medium—becomes a strength rather than a flaw. The exhibition resists flattening female experience into a single narrative, instead embracing its complexity and range.

TBS Picks

Chronicle of the Body by Dilara Begum Jolly

Medium: Photograph, needlework, lightbox

Chronicle of the Body offers a technically sophisticated yet deeply visceral encounter. Jolly's two installations combine photographic manipulation, lightboxes, and needlework to create a striking sense of depth. From afar, the glow of the works draws the viewer in; up close, the delicate stitching reveals an intimate meditation on the female body and femininity. Rendered in greyscale, the pieces carry a starkness that feels archival, as though documenting both the physical and emotional weight of womanhood.

Untitled by Tayeba Begum Lipi

Medium: Mixed media

One of the few Bangladeshi artists to gain sustained international recognition, Tayeba Begum Lipi frequently interrogates themes of the body and marginalisation. This red-toned self-portrait, adorned with dolls, is a haunting reflection on girlhood. Objects typically associated with innocence and play take on a heavy presence, suggesting the expectations and burdens imposed from an early age as one moves from childhood into womanhood.

Untitled by Kanak Chapa Chakma

Medium: Acrylic on canvas

Kanak Chapa Chakma's work, rooted in indigenous heritage and identity, portrays indigenous women within their natural surroundings. Her bold palette and confident figures convey resilience and quiet strength. The paintings serve as a reminder that female experience in Bangladesh is far from monolithic, drawing attention to lives and cultures that exist beyond the urban centre.