Watercolour · Acrylic · River Culture · Rural Life · Landscape Narrative
"Make every day a masterpiece of your life."
Exploring the fluid washes of watercolour and layered depth of acrylic to capture the dignity of everyday life, riverine livelihoods, and shifting rural landscapes of Bangladesh.
“The river is not only a landscape; it is a living archive of labour, movement, memory and belonging.”
Mehedi Islam Rafi is a Bangladeshi contemporary visual artist and doctoral researcher at the Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka. Working primarily in watercolour and acrylic, his practice is shaped by the rivers, boats, rural settlements, and working communities of Bangladesh.
Through fluid washes, atmospheric colour, and economical brushwork, he transforms observed moments into poetic visual narratives that honor everyday human dignity.
A curated preview of recent works (2025–2026) capturing the dignity of riverine life, ferry crossings, and rural landscape atmospheres.
Watercolour on paper
A study of working boats held in still water, where the quiet rhythm of river travel meets the openness of the landscape.
Watercolour on paper
Warm amber tones illuminate a river settlement, tracing the relationship between boats, palm trees, homes and daily labour.
Watercolour on paper
Across an expansive riverbank, travellers and vessels become small but vital marks in a landscape shaped by water.
Watercolour on paper
Palms, human figures and their reflections establish a delicate balance between habitation and the surrounding river.
Watercolour on paper
A flooded landscape becomes a meditation on fragility, adaptation and the persistence of community.
Watercolour on paper
Vernacular dwellings and vegetation emerge from a broad expanse of water, suggesting endurance within seasonal change.
Exhibited across Mexico, Nepal, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Greece, Thailand, Japan, the United States and Bangladesh.
View Timeline →Recipient of the Artist Kazi Anowar Hossain Award (Nepal Art Expo 2025) and Best Artist in International Art Exhibition (2024).
View 9 Certificates →Photographic archive documenting international art triennials, keynote talks, and artist symposiums in Mexico and Sri Lanka.
Explore Memories →For exhibition invitations, artwork acquisition, academic collaborations, or art camp participation.
Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka
Dhaka, Bangladesh