On Monday, 26 September, 2022 Dhaka Kitsch, a charity event supporting the non-profit organisation, Thrive, was held at the Edge Gallery Gulshan. Funded by Tasneem Sinha and Mahbub Mursalin, the event exhibited a collection of T-shirts, with rickshaw art inspired designs by artist and designer, Kuhu Plamondon. Chandana R Dewan, renowned designer and partner for the initiative, was by her side every step of the way, making the event a success.

Kitsch refers to art that are often considered gaudy, but appreciated in an ironic manner. Rickshaw art is a glaring example of "kitsch" in the local context.

While sharing her thoughts behind each design, Kuhu Plamondon took a walk down memory lane and went back to the days when she was a student at the University of Dhaka.

"This moment is a dream come true for me. The idea of Dhaka Kitsch goes back to my university days when deshi art was a part of our everyday life. It was all about colour, culture and being rooted to where you came from," she said.

With the idea of making the deshi art functional and presenting it to people in a way where it can be a part of our daily lives, the journey of each design in the collection started.

"T-shirts are the most popular clothing item regardless of gender or age. So, I thought why not bring the deshi art into T-shirt designs that people can wear on an everyday basis," Plamondon added, explaining the thought behind the collection.

Ever since her art school days, Plamondon always found rickshaw paintings quite amusing, and her love of this form of art can be seen in each of the designs that were exhibited at the event. Explaining further she added that while it might not be everyone's cup of tea, gaudy art always tells a story. "It has character, humour, and culture," said Kuhu Plamondon.

Priscilla Heffelfinger and Gina Gabel, the Co-founders of Thrive, were also a part of the event. Thanking the guests of the event they acknowledged the sincere contribution that everyone is making to build a better world for the children in need. The fund collected from selling every T-shirt during the event will be donated to Thrive for helping underprivileged children.

If you missed the opportunity to visit the event then you can get your hands on the designs from Chondon, House 9, Road 103, Gulshan 2, Dhaka.