Memory and Myth: Mahmuda Siddika's Dialogue with Nature and Heritage Through Art

Mahmuda Siddika, an emerging artist from Bangladesh, offers a deeply personal articulation of memory and mythology in her artwork. Her work is a raw and intimate journey of self-exploration and self-discovery, intricately blending personal stories with micro and macro socio-political and environmental issues told through metaphors. It serves as a poignant reminder of what we have lost and continue to lose and the urgent need for conservation through visual storytelling.

In Siddika's body of work, her Memory and Myth stands as a testament to the delicate balance between reality and the tenderness of antiquity, monumental folk motifs rock bottom until they sink into desolation alongside the breathtaking beauty of Bangladesh's landscape. This body of work captures the essence of folk motifs and terracotta dolls, dolls that were previously cornerstones of Bangladeshi community folk tales tapestry, from nature's sculpting hands and her woven strands of embellishment.

Artworks do not simply convey ideas; they talk. The folk motifs and terracotta dolls, which used to be a part of rural life and expression, are now in danger due to industrialization, globalization, and the decline of the artisanal culture. These visual motifs, along with the images of the green and lush land overflowing with nature, tell not only accounts of community, myth, and resilience but also portray nature as a protagonist rather than a mere setting.

In Memory and Myth, Mahmuda fosters the idea of myth as not only an ancient story but something more active, continuously telling myths of cultural and environmental endurance. Her work raises an important issue: if these stories are not allowed to be remembered, preserved, and reimagined, how long can they endure?

In one of her video works, Mahmuda uses the horse as a key symbol—a soft, smooth figure that represents the equilibrium and balance between creativity and nature, so fragile and elegant at the same time. This metaphorical manifestation portrays the delicate nature of heritage and ecological equilibrium. The horse, much like the myths that exist in the depths of humanity's collective memory, reminds us of the silent tales that exist but are waiting to be forgotten.

Mahmuda's focus is not limited to studio work. She has an MFA in Printmaking from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, and a BFA from the University of Dhaka. Her creative process includes sustainable art and community involvement. Her projects foster long-term dialogue and active engagement with the communities she works with. Additionally, they raise awareness and help cultivate the preservation of the environment and culture.

In regard to Mahmuda Siddika's Memory and Myth, it is, in a certain way, much more than an artistic series; it is a poignant call to remember and act. Her delicate yet fierce visual narratives compel us to approach the roots of our civilization, the world outside, and the disintegrating pieces of our identity that once defined us. With this, she diffuses an expectation for us to experience art and live its call: cherish what is left before it turns into legend.