Grade 8 students meet Indian artist Samita Chatterjee

On Wednesday, 11 January 2023, a renowned artist from India Samita Chatterjee was welcomed by the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka’s Senior School faculty and Grade 8 students. Samita specialises in visual storytelling through graffiti, illustrations and comics. Her works have appeared in a number of books, magazines and anthologies, including PEN America’s graphic narrative section. Samita conducted an interactive session on urban art styles and their distinctive features.

As part of the session, Samita shared a presentation on her works and highlighted the background stories behind each creation. She emphasised the cultural impact artists and artworks can create, and how borderless the world of art can be. Throughout the presentation, students asked questions and spontaneously engaged in conversations with the artist.

“I loved her works and enjoyed the session a lot, said Grade 8 student Adyan Shah Rahman. “The way she presented her stories behind every artwork was amazing.”

Visual arts teachers Ms Fahmida Khatun and Ms Lamia Khan were elated as they felt their students were highly motivated by the session and the works of the artist.

“It was great to see the students enjoying the session while learning about urban art styles from an amazing artist like Samita,” Ms Lamia said. “This will have a great impact on the artistic expression of our students and their works in the future.”

Samita was delighted to see the active participation of the students and expressed her desire to return.

“I was amazed by some of the questions these students asked,” Samita said. “It not only shows their interest but also highlights the depth of their understanding of artistic expressions.”