Bio
Palash Bhattacharjee (born 1983), based in Chattogram (Chittagong), Bangladesh, has undergone a notable shift in his artistic journey, transitioning from academically focused printmaking towards multi-media, experimental art practice via a close encounter with performance art activism. Since 2011, his practice has forked into two divergent and also overlapping strands – video and performance. He received his masters (2006) and Bachelor's (2005) degrees from the Department of Fine Arts, Chittagong University. He was awarded the Asia Pacific Fellowship Residency from MMCA Residency Goyang (2011) and received a grant from Seoksu Art Project, South Korea (2010). His works have been widely exhibited in Bangladesh, including at Kalakendra 2023, Chobi Mela 2021, Dhaka Art Summit 2012-2020, Asian Art Biennale 2012, 2016, 2018 and 2022, Dhaka, and internationally, including NOmade Biennale Poland 2023, Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi 2022, Colomboscope 2021, Colombo, and many more.

Artist Statement | Legacies of Crossings>
The work delves into the intertwined narratives of familial relationships drifting apart, with a focus on the Kalurghat bridge
spanning the Karnaphuli River in Chittagong, Bangladesh. Built during British colonial rule in 1930, this bridge serves as a vital
connection between the north and south of the greater Chittagong district, bisected by the Karnaphuli River. My family
ancestry is rooted in south Chittagong, where this bridge historically facilitated communication between regions, bridging the
gap from the region of British India. From the belt of my family ancestors, many left the southern part of Chittagong from the
British period, particularly the partition period, to the Pakistan period and settled in different parts of this subcontinent. Then,
during the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971, some people in Bangladesh-India border areas took shelter for some time and
worked in various ways for the freedom of the country. From the post-independence period to the present time, many people
from this southern region migrated to other countries outside the subcontinent for different purposes and reasons, including
re-settlement in Chittagong City and Dhaka. These familial and local stories are not linear, and there is no relationship or
communication as there used to be. There are now only random stories, some blurry, ruined pictures, letters, and this bridge.

Palash Bhattacharjee
A Bridge and Beyond the Bridge, 2024
archival print
6.22 x 8.34 in
edition 1/10