The exhibition features nine recent original artworks of Ishrat Jahan, who was born on March 25, 1987 in Comilla, Bangladesh and came to Canada in 2005. Ishrat started her career as a Child and Youth Care Practitioner at Unlimited Potential Community Services formerly known as Bosco Homes in 2008. Ishrat has recently graduated from the Bachelors of Child and Youth Care in Grant McEwan University of Canada.

Currently she is working as a Supervisor of a Special Project at Alta Care Resources of Alberta. In January 4, 2012 Ishrat lost her elder brother Mahinur Jahid to a tragic car accident in Lloydminster which inspired Ishrat to start painting again after her first display in 2002. Ishrat found her way back to painting again in the process of grieving and practicing self-care.

President of BHESA and BBHM Delwar Jahid inaugurated the exhibition at the Bangladesh PressClub of Alberta while among others BHESA executives Masood Bhuiyan, Anamur Rahman and Nurul Huda were present.

BHESA Executives during Inauguration Ceremony

Ishrat is dedicated to inspire our young generation with her paintings to express feelings of anger, joy, sadness, loneliness and love. Personally and professionally, Ishrat believes art to be an effective method of expression that speaks louder than words. It helps Ishrat to self-reflect, face challenges of her life and reach acceptance. It fascinates Ishrat to see people interpret her art from their own stories and experiences in lives which she takes into her practice as a CYC practitioner because art instigates change in peoples stories. Since, Ishrat strongly believes in change, all her art some ways speaks change or an evolving process.

The exhibit in 2015 is Ishrat’s second major event as an artist. Back in 2002 she had a display in city of Pontevedra, Spain together with her sister Elma. Ishrat feels that event gave her the courage and confidence as an adolescent to believe in herself and people around her. Ishrat realized art kept her away from natural adolescent challenges and encouraged her to nurture this creative side of her.

Painting 'words matter' by Ishrat Jahan

The Board of the Bangladesh Heritage Museum (BBHM), and the Bangladesh PressClub Centre of Alberta (BPCA) has selected this exhibits to launch a community heritage museum project, with which the Bangladesh community wants to take pride in presenting Ishrat's contemporary art to promote Bangladesh heritage, culture and history.

Painting 'windy life' by Ishrat Jahan