Rokeya Sultana is the first woman from Bangladesh to receive the prestigious Asian Biennale Award in 1999. Adorned with many other prestigious awards at home and abroad, she is one of the most honored and prominent artists of these times. Her works reflect her basic nature – modesty. She is the proverbial dreamer who paints pictures of congruence, harmony and peace. “All my feelings, emotions and practices are expressed deeply in my works”, says Rokeya, whose paintings thus have the quality of verse. She mostly uses tempera as her medium to portray relationships between people, society and nature. Her colors complement each other, and her lines flow like lyrics. It is thus no surprise to know that she is inspired by Tagore, Lalon and Frost. There is an overt association between the figures in her works as they are seen sweeping into a story. Rokeya’s paintings neither chastise nor patronize, but are sharp perceptions of a keen observer who is committed to breaking barriers and taboos. So she paints what she sees or feels, especially about the women Bangladesh. Rokeya Sultana is, in spirit, a story teller.