The New Nation - Internet Edition

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

Artist Safiuddin Ahmed is a distinguished name in the art movement of Bangladesh. He was the colleague and contemporary of Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin. He is a dedicated purist who helped to establish modern art in Bangladesh. He is also called the 'Father of printmaking in Bangladesh.’ Today (June 23) is the 86th birth anniversary of artist Safiuddin Ahmed.

As an artist, he was already famous in the 1940s. Born in 1922 he trained in the Calcutta Government School of Art. He was able to develop a distinctly individualistic tone and tenor in his creative work. His prints in particular bear the signs of a mature temperament and occupied creativity and sublimation. He is also extraordinary expert in oil, drawing and watercolour. The nature of his work and the character that nurtures it give it a distinctive character.

Safiuddin played a role along with Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin, in setting up the Art School in Dhaka in 1948. He joined the art school and took up fine arts as a mission. Safiuddin Ahmed is the pioneer printmaker of the Bangladeshi art world. He is also one of the eminent printmakers of modern printmaking in South Asia. Winning of his Academy President’s Gold Medal in 1945, the first prize of his 'Happy Home’ in the International Contemporary Art Exhibition in 1946 and the first prize for 'Santal Maiden’ (black and white, etching and drawing) in the inter Asian Art Exhibition, organised by the All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society in New Delhi in 1847 prove that Safiuddin’s works received critical recognition in the whole Asian region, especially in undivided India.

The artist left his brilliant career in the undivided India and headed to the new state Pakistan just after the partition, along with his fellow Bengali Muslim artists, including Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin and Patua Quamrul Hassan from Kolkata, with the dream of establishing a new art school in Dhaka, the then capital of the eastern wing of the country. As one of the founder members he worked, even though more passively than his famous contemporaries, in bracing the art movement of this region. He worked a long time as the head of the Printmaking Department and was involved with this institution till 2004.

Though he was contemporary of eminent artists of Bangladesh art world, Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin and Patua Quamrul Hassan, he attracted the art connoisseurs with his distinctive style in presenting the rural and people of working class.

On this occasion, the former students, disciples and well-wishers of the artist are preparing to celebrate the 86th birthday of the last living artist of 'Charukala’ (Fine Arts Institute) establishment Safiuddin Ahmed.

The Bengal Shilpalaya is going to arrange the first solo exhibition of Safiuddin Ahmed in Bangladesh.

The exhibition titled 'The Limitless Luminosity of Lines’ will be inaugurated at 6:00pm at the Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts on June 23. After nearly five decades, the artist known as isolated and introvert has agreed to arrange his solo exhibition, which will be his first ever solo show in Bangladesh.

Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin, Safiuddin Ahmed, Quamrul Hasan, SM Sultan and Mohammad Kibria are the pioneers of modernity in our fine arts. Safiuddin has consistently been creative and is still at work like new artists, spurred on by an innate creative urge.

Safiuddin has, however, kept himself somewhat out of the public glare.

This quiet and reserved, refined octogenarian has enriched our art tradition with his creative works and aesthetic disposition. The number of his well-wishers and students are numerous.