Rabiul Khan

Rabiul Khan's works are overlapping of several layers, a metaphor for how he experiences the natural and man-made systems and their layers of history. His experience of construction and deconstruction of small shops around Santiniketan, plantation, and deforestation, a sudden shift towards urbanization have a remarkable impact on his thought process and the art practice. Local festivals followed by street performances with DJ music boxes, buying lottery tickets from street-side hawkers, winning a cash prize and their typical outfits are all simply strong issues that he tries to portray in his artistic expression. They may all seem very stress-free and nonsensical from a distance. However, things are more fragile and fragmented with big families translating into micro families and nature transforming into exploitative urban. The landscape of Santiniketan has changed drastically with the barbed wire spiral fencing and the construction of multiple concrete walls. He observed the early attachment the local communities had with the landscape. Using drone vision, he discovered the adjacent village areas of Santiniketan and the burning of straws in the paddy fields. All these simultaneous occurrences are juxtaposed and overlapped in his interpretations. What may seem like chaos, for Rabiul, these multiple happenings form various patterns allow space for a profound diversity and present inspiration for his art practice.