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.”
“In my pursuit of art, Bangla calligraphy revealed new dimensions along the way.”
– Arham ul Huq Chowdhury
Arham ul Huq Chowdhury
b. 1975
Arham–ul–Huq Chowdhury (b. 1975) is a versatile Bangladeshi artist, calligrapher, sculptor, designer, and researcher whose creative journey spans over three decades and multiple mediums. With a formal academic background in Anthropology—holding both Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Dhaka—his work reflects a profound engagement with culture, heritage, and the environment. He has held numerous solo exhibitions since the mid-1990s, covering an eclectic range of forms including Bangla calligraphy, scrap metal sculpture, bonsai, art furniture, and batik using natural dye. His notable recent exhibitions include Decorated Deeds(2025) at Alliance Française de Dhaka, which featured Bangla calligraphy on antique documents, and Layouts in Letters II (2024), a fundraising show for animal welfare. He has also explored public and retrospective sculptural works, such as Sculpture Retrospective (2019) at CRP, Savar, and Duets in Metal and Water, a multi-part sculptural fountain series exhibited at various Dhaka venues. In parallel with his visual practice, Arham has participated in numerous workshops and seminars, enriching his interdisciplinary approach. These include mold-making with Spanish artist Esperanza Romero, Ebru marbling with Turkish master Hikmet Barutcugil, and several design-themed workshops and seminars hosted by the British Council. He also completed an art history and appreciation course at Shilpakala Academy in 2003. As a researcher, Arham has delved into architectural anthropology, focusing on Dhaka’s pre-partition heritage homes. His academic work includes ethnographic studies on life and social patterns in these historical structures, along with community-based research on the Aga Khawani group in Dhaka. Professionally, he has contributed to national development initiatives, including consultancy work with the Bangladesh Election Commission and UNDP for developing Bangla fonts for national ID cards. Arham’s involvement in cultural and environmental advocacy is equally notable. He is a founder member of the Bangladesh Heritage Foundation, a life member of the Bangladesh Solar Energy Commission, and is affiliated with organizations like the Bangladesh Crafts Council and Friends of CRP International. Currently, he works as a freelance artist, interior and landscape designer, and independent researcher focused on heritage and environmental issues.
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.
