Ahmed Rasel - A Bed, a Home and Graves

Curator's Note

This is the story of life that begins and ends on the muddy banks of the river. Both old and new, the story has been unfolding in this region for thousands of years—the human struggle for coexistence with the natural world of water and mud. This is the artist’s own story, and that is what makes it special.

Our biological being is transient. Humans want their memories to live on. They strive for a sense of permanence by constructing slabs from their memories. Nature allows it or does not, and sometimes, nature takes care of it in its own way. This is how the culture of this region has developed its own DNA.

Humans have tried to make their position long-lasting through their attempts to understand nature. Do we see another form of that effort in art practice?

It is also important to experience the present moment, because the beauty and magical emotion of the present will not be repeated in its exact form. The memory-stricken man and the tension of his existence—this is the predominant theme of Ahmed Russell’s exhibition.

The media of Ahmed Russell's artwork are still photographs, moving images, and installations. The underlying ideas become clear when his work is viewed not as isolated single photographs, but rather in the interrelationship of subjects, narratives, places, light, and aesthetics.

Wakilur Rahman
Artist, Curator