Symphony of Colour: Bold strokes, soft stories

Abstract art always stands on a fine line, trying to balance making art palatable to the public and absolute creativity. But Zakia Aziz somehow manages to capture the essence of the sceneries we see every day in the colours coating her brush. 

In a painting, only a few brushstrokes and vibrant colours make up a rickshaw under the midday sunlight. You can almost see the image of the rickshaw-puller pushing on the pedal in your mind rather than the canvas. 

All of Zakia's paintings have this in common–they are bold, high-spirited, and somehow manage to capture the essence in simple moments, encapsulating the style of impressionism with abstract hues. 

'Symphony of Colour' is Zakia's 11th solo exhibition, an artist who has showcased her work both in Bangladesh and overseas. Featuring 17 beautiful pieces, the exhibition will run until 28 December at Gallery The Illusions, open to all for a visit.

"I want people to lose themselves in my paintings and feel a sense of serenity. With so much chaos around us, art should provide peace and relax the mind as you wander through an exhibition."

Zakia Aziz

In paintings sometimes capturing winter mornings, the reflective lights in city skylines, or just a meld of blues reminiscent of the ocean, her works evoke a sense of peace. 

"I can't draw violence, it just does not come to me. I only draw what brings me peace and looks soothing," said Zakia. 

Her work celebrates nature, portraying themes like spring and the gentle breeze, while also capturing the roads of Dhaka, Spain, Portugal, Madrid, Lisbon, and New York. She shares anecdotes from her travels through her art, bringing the gallery to life.

"Times have changed, and artists no longer need to carry sketchbooks everywhere. I take many pictures and transform them into my visions, expressing how I feel about them through my paintings," she shared about her creative process.

Zakia loves experimenting with brushes and adds dimension and textures to her canvas with a spatula, creating paintings defined by colours rather than shapes. A closer look and a moment with her work reveal subtle depictions of people, roads, and objects, drawn delicately through her use of colour.

"I want people to lose themselves in my paintings and feel a sense of serenity. With so much chaos around us, art should provide peace and relax the mind as you wander through an exhibition," Zakia added.

For example, in one oil on canvas painting, 'Peonies', the artist chose vibrant reds and pinks as the central hues, typically associated with passion, love, and energy. These tones are layered with softer pastels and deeper earth tones, lending the composition a sense of depth and texture. 

The interplay of these colours conveys a dynamic yet harmonious contrast, which evokes both energy and peace.

Her impressionist paintings are fluid in nature, capturing a fleeting moment or emotion, and preserving it on her canvas. In many of the pieces, the backgrounds consist of subtle cool tones such as blue and purple, reinforcing its calm, dreamlike quality. 

TBS Picks

Winter morning 
Medium: Oil on canvas

There's an unspoken rule of associating colours with spring and gloom with winter, but Zakia also challenges this notion by bringing colour to winter. She breathes life into the blissful season of winter, highlighting its often-overlooked beauty.

City at Night, Manhattan - 4
Medium: Oil on canvas

A glimpse of many of her photo walks comes to life through beautiful brushstrokes, capturing the vibrant and lively nightlife of the city. There is an explosion of colour, yet none feels overused or unnecessary in her paintings.

A Gentle Breeze-2
Medium: Oil on canvas

It's always a treat to see artists paint their magic on canvas, bringing life to scenes we can fully experience through photos but art gives them more life. Zakia's portrayal of a breeze is flawlessly executed, with colours portraying the wind gently blowing the flowers away.