Shawon Akand
Shawon Akand | |
|---|---|
 Shawon Akand in 2026 | |
| Born | October 15, 1975 Kushtia, Bangladesh |
| Alma mater | University of Dhaka |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Notable work | Bangladesher Tantshilpa (2018) |
| Mother | Shahida Musa Ashru |
| Awards | 2019 Prothom Alo Book of the Year Award |
Shawon Akand (born 15 October 1975) is a Bangladeshi painter, writer, researcher,[1] and curator.[2] He is known for his research on folk art and textile arts of Bangladesh. His research book on handloom crafts, Handloom Industry of Bangladesh (2018), received the Prothom Alo Book of the Year Award 1424 in the non-fiction category.[3][4] Since 2012, he has been contributing to the Art Asia Pacific Almanac. He is also known as a lyricist of several songs from the Atol Joler Gaan (2013) album by the band Joler Gaan.[5] Currently, he is the director and co-founder of Jathashilpa, a center for traditional and contemporary arts.[6][4]
Early life
Shawon was born on 15 October 1975 in Kushtia, Bangladesh.[4] His mother, Shahida Musa Ashru (1933–2015), was known as a poet and social activist. He completed his secondary education from Kushtia Zilla School and higher secondary education from Kushtia Government College. He trained in Graphic Design from the Institute of Fine Arts at the University of Dhaka in 1997.[4][7]
In 2007, he co-founded the CRACK International Art Camp, an annual event inspired by Baul philosophy. In 2016, he established the non-profit research and resource center “Ashru Archive” in Kushtia. In the same year, he co-founded Jathashilpa, a center for traditional and contemporary arts.[7]
Research work
Shawon has conducted extensive research on the handloom industry of Bangladesh. He has also carried out research on rickshaw art. In 2023, he received the Ganesh Haloi Bengal Research Fellowship for his research titled “Alternative History of Dhaka Art: In Search of Non-Institutional Genres.”[8][9][10]
He has also received research fellowships/grants from the Asia-Europe Foundation, the Bangladesh Film Archive, the Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation, and Deshal.
Notable exhibitions
Solo exhibitions
| Year | Exhibition | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | What is Reality | Drik Gallery, Dhaka | |
| 2013 | Paradox of the Partition | NIV Art Centre, New Delhi | [11] |
| 2016 | To See or Not to See | National Art Gallery, Dhaka | |
Publications
Shawon's major publications include:[12]
- An Outline of Bangladesh Folk Art
- Textile Traditions of Bangladesh
- Cinema Banner Painting in Bangladesh
- The Tendency of Modern Art in Bangladesh
Awards
External links
Media related to Shawon Akand at Wikimedia Commons
References
- ↑ মাঝি, কৌশিক দত্ত,সুমন (December 9, 2023). "ইউনেস্কোর হেরিটেজ তালিকায় ঢাকার রিকশা-রিকশাচিত্র, কীভাবে এল এই শিল্প?". Eisamay Online (in Bengali). Archived from the original on November 29, 2025. Retrieved 2026-03-21.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ "Dhaka artist's notes on tryst with nature". Archived from the original on 2025-11-29. Retrieved 2026-03-21.
- ↑ প্রতিবেদক, নিজস্ব. "পুরস্কার পেলেন তিন লেখক". Prothomalo (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 2021-10-21. Retrieved 2026-03-21.
- 1 2 3 4 প্রতিবেদক, নিজস্ব. "'তাঁত বাংলাদেশের সবচেয়ে গৌরবোজ্জ্বল ইতিহাসের একটা'". Prothomalo (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 2025-11-29. Retrieved 2026-03-21.
- ↑ গানের খাতা (PDF), Joler Gaan, March 21, 2026
- ↑ "উদ্যমী বাংলাদেশ - যথাশিল্প". www.kalerkantho.com. 2019-03-02. Retrieved 2026-03-21.
- 1 2 "Shawon Akand". cimam.org. Archived from the original on November 29, 2025. Retrieved 2026-03-22.
- ↑ "গণেশ হালুই বেঙ্গল গবেষণা বৃত্তি পেলেন শাওন আকন্দ". www.kalerkantho.com (in Bengali). July 26, 2023. Archived from the original on March 22, 2026. Retrieved 2026-03-22.
- ↑ "Artist Shawon Akand receives 'Ganesh Haloi Bengal Research Grant 2023' | The Daily Star". www.thedailystar.net. Archived from the original on July 25, 2023. Retrieved 2026-03-22.
- ↑ "'গণেশ হালুই বেঙ্গল গবেষণা বৃত্তি' পেলেন শাওন আকন্দ – কালি ও কলম". www.kaliokalam.com. Archived from the original on 2025-12-27. Retrieved 2026-03-22.
- ↑ "Imago Mundi Collection". imagomundicollection.org. Retrieved 2026-03-22.
- ↑ Libano, Olivia Álvarez (March 30, 2022). "Shawon Akand • AFIELD". afield.org. Retrieved 2026-03-22.