Reflections: Water and Life in Bangladesh In association with Drik Picture Library and the Association of Photographers Gallery Bangladesh is a country of immense natural beauty, its fertile fields and lush vegetation nourished by the 200 rivers which criss-cross the entire landscape. Water supports the way of life of the entire nation, including whole communities of fishermen, boatmen and rice farmers. Water has also been the inspiration for countless generations of artists, poets and musicians. As the well known Bengali proverb says: "The other name for Water is Life". However the global mass media constantly portray Bangladesh as a country of cyclones, floods and famine. They emphasise how water plays havoc with people's lives, destroying the homes and livelihoods of whole communities in an unrelenting cycle of natural disasters. In the UK, people are rightly made aware of the damage, destruction and human tragedy, but this distorts the image of a beautiful country and an astonishingly resilient nation. This exhibition features newly produced work by students at Pathshala, the education wing of Drik. Taking its name from the Sanskrit word meaning "inner vision", Drik is Bangladesh's foremost and most innovative picture agency. This ground breaking exhibition, taking the thought-provoking theme of water, provides a vital counterbalance to recent Western media images of Bangladesh. All photographs in this exhibition are for sale. Photo above: Wahidur Rahman Khandkar Photo below: Azizur Rahim Peu
	12 - 24 July The Association of Photographers Gallery 81 Leonard Street, London EC2 Tube: Old Street, Exit 4 Mon - Fri 9.30am - 6.00pm Sat 12.00 - 4.00pm Entry free Supported by Laminart Photo below: Munira Morshed Munni/ Drik
The Living Arts of Bangladesh: Jamdani weaves and Kantha embroideries Weaving, dyeing and needlework, arts practised since antiquity in Bangladesh, have been undergoing a tremendous revival over the last two decades. Last year, samples of the country's vibrant fabrics were shown to great acclaim on the catwalk at London Fashion Week. This exhibition brings together a specially created collection of muslins and embroideries which celebrate the consummate skill of the country's textile artists. Centuries ago, muslins from the looms of Dhaka were finding their way to Europe where they were termed textiles ventali - fabrics woven of air. These exquisite muslins (jamdanis) were so expensive that they were used only by the affluent nobility and today they are still much in demand by collectors of haute couture saris. They are decorated with distinctive patterns which are characteristic to individual families and which have been passed down through generations. Bangladesh is also famed for its embroidery, particularly the nakshi kantha or embroidered quilt. Kantha means patched cloth, and the quilting thriftily uses discarded saris and the multi-coloured threads from their old borders. They were traditionally created as a pastime by village women, and depicted their hopes and dreams with simplicity and beauty. Each piece is a personal composition using motifs such as fish, birds and lotus blooms with an original sense of scale and symmetry. The jamdanis and kanthas in this exhibition have been created by craftsmen and women from Aarong, Aranya and Kumudini, three of the leading organisations currently creating textiles in Bangladesh, often under fair trade agreements. All the pieces in this exhibition are for sale.	8 - 31 July Soni Gallery 25 Connaught Street, Marble Arch, London W2 Tube: Marble Arch / Edgware Road Opening times: Mon - Fri 11.00am - 5.00pm Sat 1.00pm - 4.00pm Closed on Sundays Entrance free For more information call 0171 262 9101

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