- Nationality
- Bangladeshi
- Primary Media
- Watercolour on paper; acrylic on canvas
- Fields of Practice
- Landscape, river culture, rural life, cultural memory
- Current Study
- PhD in Fine Arts, University of Dhaka
- Based In
- Bangladesh
- Portfolio Period
- Selected works 2025–2026, with earlier archive works
Artist Profile
Sarif Miah
Sarif Miah is a Bangladeshi contemporary visual artist and doctoral researcher at the Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka. He holds both a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Fine Arts, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Fine Arts.
Working primarily in watercolour and acrylic, his practice is shaped by the rivers, boats, rural settlements, agricultural landscapes and working communities of Bangladesh. Through fluid washes, atmospheric colour and economical brushwork, he transforms observed moments into poetic visual narratives.
His exhibition history includes national and international presentations across Bangladesh, Mexico, Nepal, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Greece, Thailand, Japan and the United States. Alongside studio practice, he participates in art camps, collaborative projects and cultural exchange programmes.
“The river is not only a landscape; it is a living archive of labour, movement, memory and belonging.”
Practice & Academic Formation
Artist Statement
My paintings grow from close observation of the landscapes and everyday life of Bangladesh. Rivers, boats, villages, fields, markets and ordinary travellers become visual records of a culture continually shaped by water, labour and movement.
Watercolour is central to my practice because its transparency and unpredictability mirror the changing atmosphere of the river landscape. I allow washes to flow, merge and leave areas of open paper, using light as an active element rather than merely an effect. In acrylic works, I extend this interest through layered surfaces, broader tonal fields and more sustained colour.
The river appears repeatedly as both subject and metaphor. It carries livelihoods, memory, migration and the continuity of community. By painting fishermen, ferry crossings, village architecture and agricultural life, I seek to honour people whose daily experiences are often overlooked while also recording landscapes that are changing rapidly.
My aim is not to reproduce a scene literally, but to preserve its emotional atmosphere. I want the viewer to sense wind, humidity, distance, silence and human presence — and through these works, to create a visual dialogue about cultural heritage, ecological awareness and the dignity of ordinary life.
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Fine Arts Ongoing Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
Curriculum Vitae
Exhibitions & Projects
- 2026SINERGIA International Art FairCETYS University System, Mexico
- 2025Nepal Art ExpoNepal Art Council Gallery, Kathmandu, Nepal
- 2025Nepal International Art Exhibition — Dreamscape Nepal ’25Zobra the Art Village & Dot to Line, Kathmandu, Nepal
- 2025Nepal International Art Exhibition 2025Chandra Man Singh Maskey Gallery, Nepal Academy of Fine Arts, Kathmandu, Nepal
- 2025Malaysia International Art Exhibition — Pink Jambu 2.0CMTHub Gallery, UiTM Shah Alam, Malaysia
- 20242nd New York Art FairZervas Art; Club for UNESCO of Art in Achaia, New York, USA
- 2023Three Painters of Bangladesh in MexicoOrganized by the Embassy of Bangladesh, Mexico
- 2023Where the Mind Is Without FearPositive Energy Art Foundation, India, and Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Bangkokthonburi University, Thailand
- 2023Silent Beauty of BangladeshGallery Sugino, Tokyo, Japan
- 202329th Kiuko Be Hon TenSinkiuko Art Association, Tokyo, Japan
- 20232nd New York Art Fair — Online ExhibitionZervas Art; Club for UNESCO of Art in Achaia, New York, USA
- 20194th International Action Art Fair ExhibitionChalkida, Evia, Greece
- 2019Colours of Bangladesh and GreeceOrganized by the Embassy of Bangladesh, Athens, Greece
Additional International Projects — dates not supplied
- iNVENTX International Exhibition — Multimedia University, Malaysia
- Colombo Art Expo — J. D. A. Perera Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Bali Art Expo — SIKA Art Gallery, Bali, Indonesia
- Yogyakarta Art Expo — Yogyakarta, Indonesia
- 2025Jibon Nodi — Group Art ExhibitionNational Art Gallery-7, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy; organized by Nongor and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka
- 2024Shilpa Sandhan — Group Art ExhibitionZobra the Art Village & Dot to Line, Dhaka
- 2023Winter Art FestivalZobra the Art Village & Dot to Line, Cox’s Bazar Cultural Centre, Cox’s Bazar
- 2022Aid Flood Affected PeopleBangladesh Charushilpi Sangsad, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka
- 2020Art Against CoronaBangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka
- 2025Prokriteer Sannirdhe — Art CampKoitta, Manikganj, Bangladesh
- 2024Shilpa Shandhan — Art CampZobra the Art Village & Dot to Line, Hijol Tomal Resort, Gazipur, Bangladesh
- 2024International Art CampZervas Art; Club for UNESCO of Art in Achaia, New York, USA
- 2024Chitra Pare Sultan — Art CampOntre Bangla, Narail, Bangladesh
- 2023Winter Art Festival — Art CampZobra the Art Village & Dot to Line, Cox’s Bazar Cultural Centre, Bangladesh
- 2022Rang Tulite Muktijudha — Independence Day Art CampChannel i, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- 2022Joy Bangla Art Camp — Bangabandhu UthsabHasumonir Pathshala, Public Library, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- 2020Art Against CoronaBangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Sarif Miah’s practice combines studio-based observation with direct engagement in collaborative art camps and international exchange. These environments support his continuing research into landscape, river-based communities, cultural memory and the expressive possibilities of watercolour.
Selected Works · 2025–2026
Portfolio
No. 01
Riverside Story-3
2025 · Watercolour on Paper · 15 × 22 in
A ferry crossing becomes a compact theatre of movement and community. The restrained horizon and soft reflections emphasize the river as a shared route of work, travel and exchange.
No. 02
Riverside Story-2
2025 · Watercolour on Paper · 15 × 22 in
Figures, cattle and open fields are arranged through transparent washes and warm earth tones, reflecting the enduring relationship between rural labour, livestock and the seasonal landscape.
No. 03
Bongoan Villa-1
2026 · Watercolour on Paper · 15 × 22 in
The weathered villa is rendered as a vessel of memory. Loose foliage, broken edges and open passages of paper evoke the quiet persistence of architecture within a changing rural environment.
No. 04
Fishing Boat-2
2025 · Watercolour on Paper · 15 × 22 in
Viewed frontally, the fishing boat emerges from a pale field of water and sky. Its vertical orientation concentrates attention on distance, reflection and the fragile balance of a working vessel.
No. 05
Rural Journey
2026 · Watercolour on Paper
A procession of pedestrians, cyclists and a motorbike moves along a narrow raised path between stretches of water — recording everyday mobility while suggesting migration and collective endurance.
No. 06
Floral Study-I
2025 · Watercolour on Paper
A soft vertical arrangement in which pigment blooms and dissolves into open paper, emphasizing delicacy, atmosphere and the transient nature of flowers.
No. 07
Floral Study-II
2026 · Watercolour on Paper
Denser colour and a stronger central rhythm give this bouquet a vivid, celebratory presence. Transparent reds, yellows and earth tones balance spontaneity with structural control.
Archive Selection
Earlier Works
Riverside Story-2
2024 · Watercolour on Paper · 15 × 22 in
Landscape-2
2021 · Acrylic on Canvas · 36 × 40 in
Fishing Boat-1
2021 · Watercolour on Paper · 15 × 22 in
Earlier works from the studio archive, shown alongside the 2025–2026 portfolio to trace the development of recurring subjects.