The colorful attires, traditional ornaments, and wild beauty of our tribal women have been a source of inspiration for many artists. Being mesmerized by their intoxicating beauty and rich culture, many artists have tried to portray them in their canvas, writings, and music. They witnessed their effortless simplicity and captured them through the colored glass of fascination. In their magnetism, they missed seeing the complexity of their lives. Where they fail to paint the picture of their struggle, Kanak Chanpa Chakma shines through.
In her painting “Chakma Meye” she encapsulates the narrative of our tribal women. With zero attempts to capture their sexuality, physical attributes, she paints a life fading into the background. She paints the women behind her myth.
Kanak Chapa Chakma
Kanak Chanpa Chakma is a visual artist based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Kanak was born in 1963 in the Rangamati Hill Tracts, in a small town named Tabal Chari, a remote hill area. She is a member of the Chakma people. She attended the School of Art, the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh, and received her Master of Fine Arts degree in 1986. Later she studied art at Pennsylvania State University in the United States from 1993 to 1994, where she received the Mid-American Arts Alliance Fellowship. She returned to Bangladesh after the successful completion of her course.
In her solo exhibition, Life is Here, held in 2014 at Bengal Art Lounge in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Kanak paid tribute to her community, the Chakmas, with 80 paintings. Among many honors and awards, she was nominated for the Sovereign Asian Art Prize 2020, Hong Kong.
Chakma Meye
Sankranti
“Sankranti”, a 2005 painting by Kanak Chanpa Chakma brings out the essence of the biggest festival of the Chakmas. Starting at Chaitra- Sankranti, this three days long celebration is for welcoming the new year of the Chakmas. Sankranti celebrates the long tradition of Jhum cultivation and the story of the passing generation. She paints her canvas on red, combines realism with imagination, and recreates Sankranti in a two-dimensional medium.
Keeping music in the background and women dancing in the front brings the day to life. It takes us among the celebration of life.
This painting is her tribute to the heritage that she holds inside of her.
Artist Art Style
She works with acrylic, most often on canvas, sometimes on paper. Her style is a vivid portrayal of the proud tribal Chakma people of Bangladesh. In her art, she frees them from their struggling lives focusing on happier moments.
The tribal people in their daily lives is the central theme in her work. Chakmas for many reasons have struggled in Bangladesh. Her work puts a spotlight on them.
Kanak Chanpa Chakma represents the Chakma people in a way no other can. Her success has given her access to many Bangladeshi policymakers. She educates the powerful (and the rest of us) using her beautiful paintings.
