Desk report: Visitors look at displayed artworks of an exhibition titled Bangla Miniature and Nano Painting at the Zainul Gallery 2 at Dhaka University on Sunday. | New Age photo Bangladesh travel guidesDaily newspaper subscription Visual miniature artist Khalifa Palash is known for depicting vast landscapes, portraits, and the struggles of everyday people on surprisingly miniature canvases, including boards, paper, stamps, and even grains of rice. His 10th solo exhibition showcases the incredible detail and depth he achieves on these miniature surfaces.

The six-day exhibition, ‘Bangla Miniature and Nano Painting’, was curated by artist Kibria Kazi and opened on October 10 at Zainul Gallery-2, Dhaka University. It features 73 artworks that offer a striking contrast between the diminutive size of the canvases and the expansive themes they represent. Among the highlights is Palash’s portrait of William Shakespeare, created on a one-millimetre square using watercolour. He also crafted five other portraits on individual rice grains, each measuring just 3.5 x 5
millimetres.

The exhibition includes 10 miniatures, each measuring less than 10 millimetres on either side. In addition, Palash displayed 60 nano paintings, which range from a few inches to a few centimetres in size. One notable work, a 12-square-centimetre watercolour painting, titled Worker, captures a group of labourers collecting concrete for a construction site.

Another acrylic-on-board painting, titled A Young Lady, shows a woman sipping coffee at a restaurant, measuring 24 square centimetres. Meanwhile, Destitute Old Man, another acrylic on board artwork, portrays a homeless elderly man on the streets, taking drugs. In his watercolour painting, Fruit Shopkeeper (42 square centimetres), Palash depicts anstreet fruit seller surrounded by a vibrant display of fresh produce.