On October 17, 2025, Safiuddin Shilpalay inaugurated the first group exhibition 'Waves and Ripples' by Akangkha Art Collective. Veteran artists Syed Abul Barq Alvi and Ivy Zaman were present as the chief guest and special guest respectively. Prominent artists like Manik Dey and Abdul Mannan were among the spectators. The guests praised the initiative of Akangkha and wished well for its future. After the cordial speeches, the exhibition was underway. 

Akangkha as a collective debut through 'Waves and Ripples', a group art exhibition curated by scholar and writer Kashfia Arif, featuring 12 artists and their 24 paintings currently adorning the walls of Safiuddin Shilpalay. Akangkha emphasises on promoting artists from different educational backgrounds and walks of life –artists who are trying to achieve recognition, artists who never tried to bring themselves to the limelight, and artists who are self-taught. Akangkha was founded by Anjum Sulaiman who herself is a self-taught artist.

As I entered the gallery, I was greeted with a versatile collection of art pieces. The first work I laid my eyes upon belongs to Methela Farzana who has sculpted beautiful natural elements like birds and branches out of red clay and created terracotta relief. Her other work depicted tiny mushrooms of white clay glazed with lovely colors. Shilpi Ali created thought-provoking paintings one of which shows a woman blended in nature.

The beautiful countrysides with dominant blue hues were done by Sivana Bahar Hiya who, I can say proudly, is a fellow architecture graduate from my Alma Mater. Fareen Ahmed's mixed media work was eye-soothing and realistic. Anjum Sulaiman and Sohel Rana painted women in bright, unconventional ways.

Sparshopriyo Barshon Roy and Prosenjit Bhadra created complex, detailed prints whereas Monjur Rashid made photorealistic acrylic portraits of birds. Muslim Mia painted Fakir Lalon Shah and a dotara surrounded by adorable birds. Kajol Howlader and Farid Hossain used their delicate watercolor brushstrokes to paint the ever-familiar images of rural Bangladesh.

In short, the exhibition opened the door for these 12 artists and thanks to Akangkha, we get to experience a lovely display of art. Safiuddin Shilpalay will run this exhibition till October 21, 2025.