Sixteen rivers on canvas: 'Nodilipi' makes an artistic call to save the rivers

A river is not merely flowing water; it is a silent witness to people's memories, lives and civilisation. Somewhere, memories of old steamers, launches and boats drifting on a river; elsewhere, the songs of bauls; and elsewhere again, the cry of a river endangered by encroachment and pollution. Painter Rashid Khan has portrayed the many-sided life of rivers on canvas through these varied themes.

His solo painting exhibition, 'Nodilipi: River Script', is under way at Dhaka Gallery in Banani in the capital. Organised under the curatorship of art writer Javed Jalil, the 15-day exhibition combines paintings with poetry, music, photography and various cultural events.

The exhibition began without the customary ribbon-cutting ceremony. Visitor numbers were somewhat low in the early days, but on Friday 6 November, the weekly holiday, the gallery saw a crowd of art lovers and visitors.

Copper nets hanging from the gallery ceiling, canvases painted in warm shades of turquoise and poly, and the dynamism of black-and-white strokes carry visitors into a different world of rivers.

The exhibition features around 60 paintings. They present the changing faces of 16 rivers in all — Chitra, Brahmaputra, Meghna, Rupsa, Teesta, Bhairab, Payra, Dhaleshwari, Turag, Jamuna, Kapotakkha, Madhumati, Dharla, Buriganga, Halda and Panguchi.

From daylight to the shadows of evening, from the beauty of rivers to their endangered existence, a range of feelings and experiences find expression on the artist's canvases. Rashid Khan has used various media in the works, including acrylic on canvas, acrylic oil canvas, water on paper, acrylic on sand paper, mixed media, charcoal on canvas and pencil on paper.

One of the exhibition's main attractions is the contrast between the river's past and present. Old steamers, launches, boats and bauls take viewers back to a nostalgic time of river-centred life. In contrast, the paintings of the Buriganga show the reality of a river devastated by encroachment, pollution, polythene and industrial waste.

A river that was once part of vibrant public life now carries waste in its water and spreads a foul smell. The artist's works titled 'Turmoil: The Present River' and 'Polithine Ruddhoswash' bring out that endangered state of the river.

Speaking about his artistic vision, Rashid Khan said, 'A river flows inside each of us. Through these paintings, I have tried to bring back that inner river within all of us.'

In his view, a river is not merely something to see or paint. It is a perspective through which one can see the changing stories of time, people, nature and life. That is why, moving beyond conventional landscapes, he has presented the river as a reflection of human memory and the sense of life.

The exhibition's special event 'Nodi Sur' turned Dhaka Gallery into a meeting place of music and art on the evening of 6 November. At the start of the programme, young artist Tapu played four different compositions on the flute. Having completed higher studies in painting in Benaras, he also shared his experience of practising music centred on rivers.

Then came Baul devotee Shahjahan Munshi, a man of the riverbanks of Manikganj. His songs spoke of the life struggles and experiences of people close to rivers, shaped by a life spent travelling on ferries and launches. Freelance photographer Kakoli Pradhan shared her long experience of working on rivers at the event, describing the obstruction from corporate and influential quarters and the risks to her life while documenting river encroachment and destruction.

Painter and musician Sumona Haque, Chirkutt vocalist Sumi, musician Alif and fashion designer Biplob Saha were among those present at the event. In the closing part of the programme, the artist's elder brother, architect Zahid I Khan, reminisced about the days they spent together at Jhenaidah Cadet College.

He said that during their cadet college days, he came first in painting in the senior group while Rashid came first in the junior group. Later, he chose architecture as his profession, while Rashid continued his art practice. Recalling memories of seeing rivers on the way to their village home as children, he said he now realises from Rashid's paintings and the exhibition how deeply those experiences of seeing rivers had affected his brother's mind.

A special art publication, 'Nodilipi: The River Scripts Where the River Speaks', has been published on the occasion of the exhibition. Priced at 300 taka, it contains Rashid Khan's paintings, his own lyric poetry, and curator Javed Jalil's art analysis and literary reflections. The connection between poems such as 'Nodi dekhte khuje pawa nodi!' and 'Sentience Rides' and the paintings gives the publication a different dimension. Javed Jalil has taken charge of the curatorial research, editing and writing here. His language and art analysis create an opportunity to understand the inner ideas of each painting more deeply. He has described Rashid Khan in the exhibition as 'The Analog Dreamer'.

'Nodilipi' will remain open to all at Dhaka Gallery every day from 3pm to 8pm until 15 November 2026. Every evening at 7pm, there will be a special cultural gathering and programme centred on rivers. According to the schedule, 'Nodi Sahitya' will be held on 7 November, 'Nodi Katha' on 8 November, 'Nodi Sur' on 9 November, a special art workshop 'Art in Everyday Life' and 'Nodi Path' in the evening on 10 November, 'Nodi Katha' on 11 November, 'Nodi Golpo' on 12 November, 'Nodi Sur' on 13 November and 'Nodi Path' on 14 November. The event will conclude on 15 November with a special gathering titled 'Nodilipi'.