Artists in the city: exploring the creative identities of visual artists in Dhaka

Abstract

This research is an exploratory study on contemporary visual artists in Dhaka city and the theorization of different kinds of creative identities among artists. The idea of creativity is closely related to our understanding of the self, however, it is also based on our relationship with others and our social, cultural, technological and other external instances. The study will look into how artists establish their creative identity in our society and how external aspects impact the concept of the creative self and the artistic identities of visual artists. The thesis will also look into how the art market or the nature of the art industry affects the creative growth of artists. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six contemporary artists and one expert for the research. Applying Pierre Bourdieu’s idea of habitus, social/cultural capital and cultural production, and Homi Bhabha’s idea of cultural hybridity, the research will look into how artists in Dhaka establish their creative identity.