Dhaka: Gods and Beasts, an ambitious solo exhibition of paintings, installations and video work by Ronni Ahmmed is on view at Bengal Art Lounge until 17 October. Renowned for his colourful depiction of imaginary worlds and fantastic creatures, Ronni Ahmmed has long been preoccupied with the mythical texts that serve as foundations to human civilisations.

In a gallery space completely remodeled for the occasion, Gods and Beasts takes Ahmmed’s inquiry a step further. The exhibition echoes many of the great religious and spiritual traditions that have crossed Bengal at one point or the other, in particular Buddhism, Hinduism and Sufism.

The viewer is plunged into frenzied depictions of religious scenes (Ganesha writing the Mahabharata, Lord Buddha attaining the Nirvana...), often rendered with a colour palette reminiscent of the American comic books of mid-20th century. Far from being an obstacle to accessing the superior meaning of these celebrated scenes, Ahmmed’s ‘cosmic comic’ aesthetics lays it bare.

The exhibition is open daily from 12:oo noon to 8:00pm.