Nazia Preema

Artistic background

Nazia Andaleeb Preema, is a Bangladeshi born (19th November 1974) visual artist, influencer and activist currently living and working in both United Kingdom and Bangladesh. Widely travelled and exhibited artist Nazia Preema is provocative and expressive on her canvases. Her work has been recognized for its innovative approach, distinct technique and lyrical overtones with unbeatable boldness and freedom. Her canvases reveal a personal narrative that can be extended to the depiction of a larger situation. Presently her canvases indicate pleasure and celebration of freedom for nature, women, beauty and the act of making a mark, all which is essential to transform a work of art into an idea that lasts forever. Her endeavor to attain versatility in her work is apparent in her passion for new media, technique and experimentation.

Her subjective stance in abstract realism is the beauty that the viewers make of her works. Her beauty is in idea, in form, and in expression. Her shapes, thus, can affect feelings and create a long lasting impression that the viewers take with her selves. Nazia’s use of primary colours set the mood, and highlight the tone, pattern, and movement of the subject. Her subjects find a sense of balance, contrast or movement in her pattern, though sometimes, she uses painting techniques to create an illusion of texture. Subjects, nonetheless, feel bridged, connected, liberated and no longer remain in chains of objectification.

Nazia’s premise and promise also accolades in her aesthetics by opting through symbolic meanings, while being adherent to a deeper understanding in the joy of beauty, which comes from human relationship of connectedness.

She has participated in many competitive art residency programs, workshops and has been awarded major international grants to pursue her works throughout her career since 1999. Preema, the widely traveled and exhibited artist, has also received recognitions both domestically and internationally for her creative endeavor. Along with 20 solo (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Japan, USA, UK, Turkey, Morocco, Uzbekistan) expositions, she has also enriched her career by participating in 5 Asian Art Biennale, Fukuaka Museum Residency, 2 Tashkent Biennale, Istanbul Biennale, Venice International Art Expo (2010, 2012, 2014) along with prestigious art fairs (Art Basel Miami, Tuyup Art Fair/Istanbul, Dubai Art Festival, Dhaka Art Summit, Delhi International Art Festival). Her curatorial projects include several large-scale international expositions (USA, UK, France) featuring art of Bangladesh in global platforms.

Selected Solo Exhibition
20th Solo Exhibition titled ‘Self-Love’, conceptual solo art exhibition in Brady Arts Centre, London, UK (2023); ‘MIS-TRACE’, A Conceptual Solo 22nd at The Dhaka Gallery, Dhaka, Bangladesh (2021); 19th Solo Exhibition titled ‘PREEMA DONNA’ Multi-dimensional solo art exhibition at Bangladesh National Museum (2020); 58th La Biennale de Venezia (Venice Biennale), Bangladesh Pavilion, Venice, Italy (2019); 18th solo Exhibition at Embassy de France to Bangladesh, Dhaka (2017); 17th Solo Exhibition Kyrgyz National Art Museum of Fine Arts, Minister of Culture, Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek (2016); 16th Solo Exhibition titled ‘Intimacy Conflict’ at Studio Kura, Fukuaka, Japan (2016); 15th Solo Exhibition titled ‘Objectified’, Art Junction Gallery, Delhi, India (2015); 14th Solo Exhibition ‘Prima Donna’, Bengal Art Lounge, Dhaka (2013); 13th Marry my Egg, Art Basel Miami, Organized by Gallery Cosmos, USA (2012); 12th Staring Women in the National Theatre Hall, Rabat, Morocco (2011); 11th Staring Women – series of video’s at Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts, Dhaka (2009); 8th Exhibition titled “Mysterious Strokes”, at Minimal Gallery, Chiang Mai, Thailand (2008); 7th Exhibition in Gallery Delray, New Orleans, Louisiana (2007); 6th solo painting exhibition at Novo Art Gallery, Queens Blvd, USA (2004); 5th solo online exhibition at http://www.preema.net/ (2004); 4th solo painting exhibition, Chuwa Gallery, Tokyo, Japan (2003); 3rd solo exhibition “Paint & Pixel”, 1st digital art showcasing at Alliance Francaise de Dhaka, Bangladesh (2002); 2nd solo exhibition titled “Senses II” at DRIK gallery, Dhaka, Bangladesh (2000); 1st solo exhibition titled “Senses” at Alliance Francaise de Dhaka, Bangladesh (1999)