Shahnaz Sultana Dolly

Bangladesh

Shahnaz Sultana, an extraordinary Bangladeshi artist, emerges from the intersection of sanctuary and resistance, where silence is transformed into expression and personal history becomes a site of inquiry. From an early age, she gravitated toward the rhythms of nature and the quiet lyricism of daily life, using drawing as her first language and her earliest means of self‑assertion.

Raised in a cultural environment where a girl’s artistic aspirations were often questioned, she developed her practice in the margins — in private, in fragments of time, and against the grain of expectation. These formative challenges deepened her artistic resolve. Today, her work stands as both a personal refuge and a critical lens through which she examines social structures, emotional landscapes, and the resilience of women’s lives.

Her multidisciplinary practice spans monochromatic drawing, watercolour, acrylic, and oil painting. Each medium is selected for its capacity to evoke a specific emotional register. Central to her work are themes of struggle, transformation, and the often‑unseen narratives of women in South Asia. She approaches these stories not as abstractions or symbols, but as intimate, complex human experiences deserving of visibility and dignity.

Her artistic voice has been recognised internationally, with features on platforms such as Singulart and awards including the Platinum Art Prize (Thailand, 2019) and Best Entry at the International Art Exhibition on COVID‑19 (India, 2020). Travels across Malaysia, Australia, and other regions have expanded her visual vocabulary, allowing her to weave global textures into work that remains deeply rooted in the truths of her own community.

Working from her home studio in Dhaka, she continues to build a body of work collected across Bangladesh, Europe, the UK, the USA, and Australia. Across continents and contexts, her intention remains constant: to offer viewers a moment of recognition, a point of connection, and a quiet invitation to reflect. Her practice affirms the belief that art can be a subtle yet powerful form of revolution — one that begins with feeling and extends outward into shared human experience.

Shahnaz Sultana, an extraordinary Bangladeshi artist, emerges from the intersection of sanctuary and resistance, where silence is transformed into expression and personal history becomes a site of inquiry. From an early age, she gravitated toward the rhythms of nature and the quiet lyricism of daily life, using drawing as her first language and her earliest means of self‑assertion.

Raised in a cultural environment where a girl’s artistic aspirations were often questioned, she developed her practice in the margins — in private, in fragments of time, and against the grain of expectation. These formative challenges deepened her artistic resolve. Today, her work stands as both a personal refuge and a critical lens through which she examines social structures, emotional landscapes, and the resilience of women’s lives.

Her multidisciplinary practice spans monochromatic drawing, watercolour, acrylic, and oil painting. Each medium is selected for its capacity to evoke a specific emotional register. Central to her work are themes of struggle, transformation, and the often‑unseen narratives of women in South Asia. She approaches these stories not as abstractions or symbols, but as intimate, complex human experiences deserving of visibility and dignity.

Her artistic voice has been recognised internationally, with features on platforms such as Singulart and awards including the Platinum Art Prize (Thailand, 2019) and Best Entry at the International Art Exhibition on COVID‑19 (India, 2020). Travels across Malaysia, Australia, and other regions have expanded her visual vocabulary, allowing her to weave global textures into work that remains deeply rooted in the truths of her own community.

Working from her home studio in Dhaka, she continues to build a body of work collected across Bangladesh, Europe, the UK, the USA, and Australia. Across continents and contexts, her intention remains constant: to offer viewers a moment of recognition, a point of connection, and a quiet invitation to reflect. Her practice affirms the belief that art can be a subtle yet powerful form of revolution — one that begins with feeling and extends outward into shared human experience.

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1990 — MSS (Master of Social Sciences)
University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh

1989 — BSS (Honours)
University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh

1986 — HSC (Higher Secondary Certificate)
Begum Badrunnesa Government Girls College, Dhaka, Bangladesh

1984 — SSC (Secondary School Certificate)
Motijheel Government Girls’ High School, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Solo Exhibition

2022
“কালান্তর” (Kalantor)
Safiuddin Shilpalay, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Two‑Person Exhibition

2025
Feature Artist VAA
Abu Jafar / Shahnaz Sultana
OpenSpace, part of VAA Worldwide Exhibition, Bangladesh

Group Exhibitions

2025

9th SOFA Exhibition, Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh

2024

“Sonar Bangla” Painting Exhibition
Embassy of Bangladesh & University Claustro de Sor Juana
Mexico City, Mexico

2023

Chottogram Charu Shilpi Parishad Contemporary Art Exhibition
Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Chattogram Art Carnival 2023, Art Circle Bangladesh

2022

Chattogram Art Carnival 2022, Art Circle Bangladesh
International Online Art Exhibition: Celebrating the Spirit of Womanhood – 2
LA Aartemisia Studio and Gallery, India

2021

2nd Online Art Exhibition, Art Circle Bangladesh
Online Art Exhibition, Art Circle Bangladesh
International Day of Peace Exhibition (Nepal–Egypt Cooperation)
International Virtual Art Exhibition: Dialogue of Civilization, Lumbini Peace
International Virtual Art Exhibition: World Nature Conservation Day
International Women Artist Group (IWAG)
Lumbini World Peace Forum, Nepal
SPPA, Bhamlada Art Village, Foothills of the Himalayas
Artists Guild Ajitgarh (AGA)
Selected for The Other Art Fair Chicago
Shortlisted: VAO 21, United Kingdom
International Art Exhibition, Visual Artists Association, London, UK
World Heritage Day 2021 Exhibition (SPPA, IWAG, AGA), India
Indo‑Bangladesh Art Exhibition, Contemporary Group of Artists, Kolkata, India
VAA International Online Art Exhibition, United Kingdom
International Women’s Day Exhibition, IWAG, Himachal Pradesh, India
International Online Art Exhibition, Contemporary Group of Artists, Kolkata, India
Nature — Online International Art Exhibition, IWAG, Himachal Pradesh, India

2020

Online Art Exhibition, Aesthetic Art Foundation
Online International Art Exhibition — 26th Death Anniversary of S.M. Sultan
International Art Exhibition on COVID‑19, Indian Royal Academy of Art and Culture
Touches of Colors — 1st National Online Watercolor Exhibition, IWS Bangladesh
Jolchobi — Group Watercolor Exhibition
Jainul Gallery, Institute of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka

2019

Bangabandhu and Bangladesh Exhibition
Jainul Gallery, Institute of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka
Pencil Week Exhibition
Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka
4th Tune Art International Art Festival — Focus Bangladesh
Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy
4th International & National Award Exhibition and Art Camp
Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy
2nd International Art Symposium
Phuket, Thailand