Decorated Deeds presents Arham ul Huq Chowdhury’s powerful new series of Bangla calligraphy works created on rare antique documents—some over a century old—spanning the East India Company period through the early 20th century. In this exhibition, Arham revives forgotten papers of Bengal’s legal, social, and cultural history by overlaying them with bold calligraphic interpretations of age-old Bangla proverbs and idioms. Each artwork becomes a conversation between past and present: the fragile patina of archival documents meets vibrant contemporary strokes, transforming everyday wisdom into striking visual narratives. Organized and curated by ARTCON and presented in collaboration with Alliance Française de Dhaka, Decorated Deeds reflects our commitment to preserving heritage through contemporary artistic expression, offering viewers a rare and poetic merger of language, history, and material memory.
BANGLA CALLIGRAPHY ON ANTIQUE DOCUMENTS
DECORATED DEEDS
Arham ul Huq Chowdhury
“Decorated Deeds is not just writing—it is the preservation of meaning across eras.”
“My paintings are the images of my life. My works are a constant endeavour to win freedom—freedom from pain, frustration, and decadence, and towards the chariot of light.”
– Kalidas Karmakar
Kalidas Karmakar
1946 – 2019
Kalidas Karmakar (1946—2019) was one of Bangladesh's most influential and experimental modern artists, celebrated for his relentless innovation, profound symbolism, and spiritual depth. Born in Faridpur, he studied at the Institute of Fine Arts (now Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka) and later at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, shaping a cross-cultural vision that merged local sensibilities with global modernism.
Throughout his prolific five-decade career, Kalidas pioneered new artistic languages through painting, printmaking, mixed media, and performance art. His signature "collagraph" technique—layering textures and materials like metal, jute, handmade paper, and found objects—transformed the surface into a field of energy, emotion, and meaning. Deeply inspired by the elemental forces of soil, water, and nature, his works embody the "alluvial soul" of Bengal, while also addressing universal concerns of freedom, suffering, and spiritual awakening.
Kalidas's art was showcased in major solo and group exhibitions across Asia, Europe, and the United States, earning him widespread international recognition. His accolades include the Grand Prix at the 2nd Bharat Bhavan Biennale (1990), Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Award (1983), and the Ekushey Padak (2018)—Bangladesh's second-highest civilian honour.
Kalidas Karmakar's legacy endures as that of a visionary who fused material experimentation with metaphysical thought. In his own words, "My paintings are the images of my life. My works are a constant endeavour to win freedom—freedom from pain, frustration, and decadence, and towards the chariot of light."
My Thoughts
In my pursuit of various facets of arts and knowledge, I came to initiate Bangla calligraphy; going further into it, I found dimensions being added on the way. In that process of doing Bangla calligraphy, searching for age old idioms, phrases, riddles, and sayings that resonate with deeper meaning, and going further this time, I have tried adding another layer to the visual representation of the ancient words of wisdom. In doing Bangla calligraphy, I have always strived to represent and do justice to the power and meaning of the sayings as rightfully as I possibly can; other than doing research on the proverbs, I have tried using various types of handmade – natural material papers of various textures and colours to bring out the energy of the proverbs. On that journey this time I have attempted to bring further meaning to them with old - antique documents, this to me means a lot. At the present day world we are trying to be as environmentally sustainable as possible and preserve heritage and bring it forward to all. These old documents may have lost their original purpose and are in the process of disintegration but like the age old proverbs they are special and can still be appreciated and has a lot to say and offer to us. This exhibition consists of 31 Bangla calligraphy works done on variety of antique documents ranging from the East India Company to various colonial periods including from Queen Victoria up till Pakistan time. Ancient idioms on vintage documents to me are unique testaments, hence this series ‘Decorated Deeds’
Arham ul Huq Chowdhury
“Alliance Francaise and Arham have been together for a significant time, this 20th solo exhibition of his marks 30 years of that association. ”
Message
M. François Grosjean
We present to you ‘Decorated Deeds’– Bangla Calligraphy on Antique Documents by Arham ul Huq Chowdhury with our best wishes for the Bangla New Year. What could be a better way than to start the New Year with ancient meaningful knowledge artistically portrayed? Therefore, this exhibition.
Alliance Francaise and Arham have been together for a significant time, this 20th solo exhibition of his marks 30 years of that association. We have witnessed his explorative journeys and have joyfully partnered numerous times in his varied ventures from creative furniture to sculptures to his unique Bangla calligraphy, we were with him on the way with his first solo exhibition with us in 1995 of his Designed & Painted Furniture and Potteries. In 2016: ‘Hard Emotions’ a fundraising scrap metal sculpture exhibition and in 2022: ‘Layouts in Letters’ - A Bangla calligraphy exhibition on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the language movement – the International Mother Language Day. Now, this special heritage-rich Bangla calligraphy exhibition is to celebrate Pohela Boishakh – the Bangla New Year.
___ M. François Grosjean, Director, Alliance Française de Dhaka
“Calligraphy becomes a bridge—between wisdom, memory, and material time.”
– Arham ul Huq Chowdhury
Decorated Deeds presents Arham ul Huq Chowdhury’s powerful new series of Bangla calligraphy works created on rare antique documents—some over a century old—spanning the East India Company period through the early 20th century. In this exhibition, Arham revives forgotten papers of Bengal’s legal, social, and cultural history by overlaying them with bold calligraphic interpretations of age-old Bangla proverbs and idioms. Each artwork becomes a conversation between past and present: the fragile patina of archival documents meets vibrant contemporary strokes, transforming everyday wisdom into striking visual narratives.
