Platforms showcases Paola Belfiore’s Sogetsu Ikebana in Dhaka

The exhibition will run until Jun 27 in Dhaka’s Gulshan 2

Italian artist Paola Belfiore has launched a solo Sogetsu Ikebana exhibition titled “Frozen Gestures”.

The exhibition is taking place at Platforms in Dhaka’s Gulshan 2 from Jun 13 to Jun 27.

The exhibition reinterprets the Japanese art of Ikebana through a contemporary lens, using Bangladeshi textiles, fruits, vegetables and everyday objects to create sculptural installations that explore movement, balance and transformation.

Drawing on local cultural traditions and materials, Belfiore incorporates items such as sarees, local towels called Gamchas, and organic elements into compositions that blur the line between stillness and motion.

The works examine the relationship between nature, space and everyday life while highlighting the expressive potential of familiar objects.

Featuring 20 artworks, the exhibition includes pieces such as Gamcha Clouds, Jamdani in My Mind, Rebirth, The Dive, Dancing Crowd, Feeling Patriotic, Rickshaw Vibes, The Bold and the Beautiful, Tarango Knots, and Smoky.

According to Platforms founder Rayana Hossain, the exhibition explores the idea of preserving movement rather than static beauty, creating works that exist between sculpture, textile art, performance and ritual.

The exhibition was coordinated by Sultan M Mineuddin, head of operations at Platforms, who worked with the artist to incorporate Bangladeshi cultural references and materials into the contemporary Sogetsu Ikebana practice.

Through Frozen Gestures, Belfiore invites visitors to view everyday materials in new ways and to reflect on themes of memory, fragility and change.