WVU Libraries will host a presentation by Qazi Arka Rahman, the 2023 Art in the Libraries Graduate Student Exhibit awardee, at 4 p.m. Dec. 6 in the Downtown Library, Room 136.
Rectifying New Digital Record, on display in the Downtown Library Graduate Research Commons, features digital art illustrating how real-world inequalities transpire in the world of web while focusing on a matter of significant social impact — the influence of language and printed texts on the digital domain. The exhibit underscores the necessity for multilingual collaboration between the “hypercentral” language, English, and non-central languages, such as Bangla.
Rahman’s doctoral research explores the intersection of postcolonial literature, South Asian studies and digital humanities. His curiosity centers on the influence of fiction in shaping concepts of nation and nationality in modern South Asia, with a focus on understanding the multidimensional identity politics at play.
For his dissertation, he endeavors to incorporate Bangladeshi literature in both English and Bangla. His goal is to expand conceptions within South Asian literary and postcolonial studies and to broaden existing notions of South Asian identity, incorporating digital humanities tools and methods.