Yasmin Jahan Nupur was born in the Bangladeshi coastal town of Chittagong in 1979. After completing a master’s in painting from the University of Chittagong in 2004 and working as a visual artist, she is now a full-time art practitioner, doing sketches, installations and performances. She has seen the Bangladeshi art landscape change in the past two decades, reflecting the social and political changes that have shaped the country—and the conflict is evident in her art.
 

Asia is characterized by political, economic and cultural diversity rather than natural coherence. Extremism has surged more in Europe than Asia. Every century has witnessed political struggles of different kinds and artists can’t ignore the conflicts of the time. Struggles have shaped the art of the time.

The art world here has definitely changed in the last 40 years—South Asian art is attracting more interest from the global audience. I think we can thank civil rights movements for making the art world a lot more comprehensive and inclusive.

"As an artist...my priority is humanity; I try to incorporate human dignity, identity, religion, politics, globalization and nationalism in my art. Moreover, I like to depict human relationships from various points of view. Mainly, my approach is linked by principles that are based on historicity, myth and iconographic symbolism of the objects; objects that tell the story of moments, ideas and memories. My artwork creates a social environment in which people come together to participate in a shared activity. In my work, the audience is envisaged as a community."