সামান্য/ Samanno
2022 - Ongoing
Found material and archival pigment print, variable sizes
“সামান্য/ Samanno” in Bengali refers to something small or insignificant. It reflects the artist’s constant search for unveiling the sublime in the ordinary.
More recently, Wasif has been drawn to the built environment that forms the skin of Old Dhaka. The evolving architecture and urban infrastructure, shaped by spatial constraints, reflect the city's transient exchanges.
Found material and archival pigment print, variable sizes
“সামান্য/ Samanno” in Bengali refers to something small or insignificant. It reflects the artist’s constant search for unveiling the sublime in the ordinary.
More recently, Wasif has been drawn to the built environment that forms the skin of Old Dhaka. The evolving architecture and urban infrastructure, shaped by spatial constraints, reflect the city's transient exchanges.
The subtleties of community living are often embedded in the distinct aesthetics of these organic formations that are constantly emerging in the city. Wasif documents these occurrences, and uses them as references to explore and create dynamic works in his studio.
Through the accumulation of found objects and material experimentation, he assembles forms that, though initially incoherent, come to life in specific spatial arrangements. Pieces of discarded wood, metal wires, parts of furniture are held together in quiet conversations in the space. Refraining from inventing new materials, he focuses on rediscovering existing ones in unexpected configurations, embracing the idea of chance in the process. In “সামান্য/Bare” these accidental encounters uncover histories that are held within the traces of everyday objects.
The fragmented objects here are both disciplined and wired across, and the empty space is filled with bold and soft materials—all have varied functions, some symbolizing the rapid changes brought about by the young generation and global influence. Bold, vertical components that yet deviate from the straight line transforms into curving threads of nuanced harmony. The artist was inspired to create the piece by music, specifically raga, a type of subcontinental classical music in which various musical modes convey unique emotions through progressions, with certain notes given greater weight than others.
While making sculptures with found objects, the artist maintains an accessible passageway so that we can casually perceive something extraordinary between the ordinary and the muse, the old and the new. As it navigates between harmony and chaos, the complicated montage of ordered and disordered objects acts like it's slowly going from mono to stereo sound.
Tanzim Wahab
Samanno(2022-ongoing)
KROMOSHO, Bengal Shilpalay, Dhaka
18 April - 31 May, 2025
With support- Debasish Shom, Ekhlas Uddin Ahmed Khan, Iftekhar Hassan, Rupom Ray, Shimul Saha
Commissioned by Durjoy Bangla Foundation