Online Desk: To mark the celebration of the country’s 53rd Victory Day, Gallery Cosmos, the reputed artistic wing of the Cosmos Foundation, has hosted a delightful day-long art event titled ‘Victory’ with eminent artist and freedom fighter Biren Shome and a group of future master painters at the Gallery Cosmos, Cosmos Centre in the capital.

The event on Tuesday was hosted as a tribute to the country’s glorious victory in the 1971 Liberation War, as the nation is set to celebrate its 53rd Victory Day this year.

Bangladesh remembers December with reverence and pride. The country earned its historic victory over Pakistani oppressors on December 16, 1971 following nine months of war fought at the call of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Along with the millions of valiant freedom fighters, many artists were actively engaged in the struggle, not only as combat warriors but also for their artistic endeavours – to encourage the maverick freedom fighters. Eminent artist and freedom fighter Biren Shome is one of them, known as one of the most notable Bangladeshi painters of the 1960s who worked as a designer at the Mujibnagar Directorate of Press, Publicity, Information, and Broadcasting in 1971 and continued to play an important role in the Bangladeshi art scene after the country’s independence.

Inaugurated by eminent Bangladeshi conglomerate-author-patron of arts, UNB Editor-in-Chief and Managing Director of Cosmos Group Enayetullah Khan, the event was also joined by Masud Khan, Deputy Managing Director of Cosmos Group; Dilshad Rahman, Director of Cosmos Foundation; Kate Jaro Khan, Director of Cosmos Education, artist Sourav Chowdhury, Artistic Director of Gallery Cosmos and parents of the participating child artists.

“Childhood is the most valuable time in our life, and I believe every child is an artist. Every year, Gallery Cosmos celebrates our glorious Victory Day in December with different events, and this year we are presenting this delightful day-long art event with our esteemed artist and freedom fighter Biren Shome, a master painter whom I have known for many years, as well as our promising child artists,” Enayetullah Khan said at the event.

Expressing his gratitude to Gallery Cosmos, artist Biren Shome said, “This is a delightful art event for me as we don’t often see this kind of engaging art initiative where everyone can engage like this. Seeing these little children and their flamboyant artistry is blissful, and I convey my heartiest gratitude to Gallery Cosmos for organizing this event in celebration of our Victory Day.”

Masud Khan said, “Winter is greeting all of us and this is a festive season altogether, but the most important reason behind this festivity for us is our Victory Day, which we celebrate every year in December. Besides the regular curriculum, our children need to learn the history and our initiatives like this are intended with that notion.”

Master painter Biren Shome created several majestic artworks for this day-long art event at the Gallery Cosmos, and the future master painters participated and cheerfully let their imagination be portrayed on large canvases, based on the theme of Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War.

The child painters learned the stories of the glorious Liberation War and the essence of victory from the eminent artist and freedom fighter Biren Shome himself, and this special art event was aimed at uniting two different generations of artists to celebrate the spirit of victory.

Lauding the initiative, several guardians expressed gratitude to the Gallery Cosmos for organising the programme. “Through this art event, our children are not only playing with colours but also portraying their innate artistry on the canvas, which is a liberating experience for both our children and us, the parents,” said Antu Nazneen who came to the event with her son Okkhor.

Artist Tania Sultana Bristy, who came to the event with her daughter Borisho Dhora and little son Bree-Swarga Dhora, told UNB that through this type of event, the children can learn about the significance of the country’s victory and independence. “Most importantly, they can simultaneously learn and enjoy their artistic adventure alongside the master painter and our valiant freedom fighter Biren Shome, and Gallery Cosmos should be lauded for initiatives like this, which they regularly arrange on different occasions”.