The New Nation - Internet Edition

Limitless luminosity of lines

Towing-1, Brush & Ink, 1950 / Safiuddin
Ahmed

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

“Safiuddin's drawings are so variegated in their subject matter and technique that one who enters their world is likely to be overwhelmed. His lines are wonderfully varied, and can be delicate, firm, lively and charged with feeling, gently curved or squiggly, thin and fine, thick and bold, swift and vibrant, lean and sharp, depending on aesthetic need. That the different kinds of line can convey a different mood is well illustrated by Safiuddin Ahmed's drawings in this exhibition. These drawings are not confined within lines, that is to say, they are not distinctive because of the use of outline alone," said art critic Syed Azizul Haque at the first solo exhibition of veteran and eminent artist Safiuddin Ahmed in his motherland at the Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts in the city.

The exhibition titled 'The Limitless Luminosity of Lines' was inaugurated on his 86th birthday on June 23. This exhibition is consequently a historic landmark in our art world. The multi-dimensional significance of this exhibition will become apparent if we recall a few simple facts. One of the outstanding pioneers of our art world, Safiuddin Ahmed has turned 86 and has been engaged in his vacation without a break for the last 70 years. His constant preoccupation with art has set a unique example for other Bangladeshi artists. In all these years he has participated in numerous group shows, but hitherto he has had only solo show, in 1959 in London. Consequently his first solo at home is bound to generate great interest among art lovers. Despite his skilled mastery of graphics and oil painting, the artist has decided to display only drawings.

Syed Aziz said, "Safiuddin Ahmed has been inspired by the modern elaboration of the concept of line drawing, giving it the status of a fully-fledged art work. Thanks to this modern influence his work as a draughtsman has been enriched by the incorporation of tonal drawing, mixed-media drawing, mural drawing, etc. Underlying his line drawings there may be a varied, colourful layer created with the help of charcoal crayons, or tonal variations. He can introduce compositional variations, varied chiaroscuro and altered perspectives. In mixed-media line drawings he sometimes adds a wash of watercolour, sometimes he uses charcoal crayons to alter the formal character of a graphic print, thereby destroying an image that he himself has created."

Safiuddin studied at the Calcutta Govt Art School (1936 - 42), and also completed his teacher's training course there. Among his teachers were Mukul De, Basantakumar Ganguly, Ramendranath Chakravarty, Atul Bose, Prahlad Karmakar, Rissen Mitra, bdul Moin. On the school's backgrounds he mastered the techniques of free-hand drawing. Ever since he has been perfecting these through continuous practice.

In a series of drawings in pen and ink or brush, produced in 1950, the artist renders his impressions of various aspects of line in East Bengal, which he was seeing with fresh eyes: 'Towing-1,' 'Fishing,' 'A Couple' and 'Labourers with a Fiddler on the Roof.' In the first three made, as layouts for woodcuts, there is rich decorativeness. Apart from the fourth drawing, all the others depict people at work; the bent attitudes are drawn with skilled mastery.

Some of the nude life drawings from the artist's student days at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London are on display at the exhibition. These carbon and lead pencil drawings use line alone and sensitively capture the distinctiveness of the human attitude, with each curve and angle given due attention.

Safiuddin Ahmed broke new ground in the line drawings of the 90's. From 1992 to 95 he experimented exclusively with black. He has been attracted to the use of black since his student days. Black is the most powerful colour to him. An artist who can use black with mastery can easily handle any other colour. During his teachership training in Kolkata he used to visit Sealdah Station at night to study ways of portraying night-time shades. During his student days in London as well his mastery over black and white drawings won him praise from his instructors. Black is a natural attribute of prints. But Safiuddin was not satisfied with that alone. In the works of this period, the black contrasts with a varied luminosity.

These drawings also demonstrate extraordinary compositional skill. Most of these drawings are surrounded by a thick black line and use charcoal crayons along with Chinese ink and watercolour.

From the 90's that artist has been occupied in other kinds of experimentation as well. He has tried to transfer the various qualities of prints and oil paintings to line drawings.

Artist Safiuddin is always engaged in experimentation. He is always trying to go beyond himself and that is why he has not remained static. His line drawings are the best representation of his innovativeness and his continuing effort to keep turning new corners in the art arena.

The exhibition will end July 13.

Aziz’s oriental art exhibition

Lady with Bird-2, Watercolour / Abdul Aziz

Art & Culture Report

The 4th solo art exhibition of artist Abdul Aziz titled 'Oriental Art Exhibition' was held at the Gallery Zoom at the Alliance Française in Dhanmondi in the capital recently.

The exhibition was inaugurated on June 19 and concluded on July 2 where 17 of his paintings reflecting the oriental life were exhibited in the gallery.

Abdul Aziz had chosen women, nature and birds as subjects of his paintings to open up the orient psyche and culture because he believes that women tells the story of the orient best.

He also mentioned that women have always played a role in upholding the true culture of particular societies - their dresses, ornaments, gestures and postures - all are very distinguished and unique.

In the paintings, the artist portrayed the harmonious relationship among women, birds and nature. He tried to give an insight to the orient by revealing the moments of solitude in women's life and their connection with the nature.

Some of his paintings were titled, 'Mirror with lady', 'Nature with woman', 'Lady with bird', 'Fallen' and others.

In the paintings, one would find how a woman looks after the beauty of nature within herself or how she wears nature as an ornament and also, how she shares her loneliness with a bird or how the nature tells the story of the beauty of orient and so on.

"Oriental art is realistic and very detailed and it takes time and patience to create them. All the paintings of this exhibition are made using watercolour in 'wash' method," said Aziz.

Abdul Aziz is going to exhibit more of his paintings later this year in his fifth solo exhibition, which will be based on the same theme. The venue for his next exhibition will be Zainul Gallery of the Institute of Fine Art of Dhaka University. The artist also participated in several group exhibitions in and outside the country including India and UK.

At present he is working as the Assistant Professor in the Fine Arts Institute of Dhaka University.

1st tourism photography exhibition resumes today

Speakers addressing at the press conference at
National Press Club. NN Photo

Art & Culture Report

Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation and Shilpakala Academy are going to organise a photography competition and exhibition at the National Art Gallery of Shilapakala Academy on July 4 and 5.

The inaugural ceremony of the photography exhibition will be held at 10:30am today (Friday). Syed Mohammad Zobaer, Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, will inaugurate the two-day long exhibition.

Banglalink, the second largest telecommunications service provider in the country, is the sponsor of the competition and exhibition.

The focus of the competition and exhibition is to discover the fascinating beauty and heritage of Bangladesh.

This was disclosed at a press conference at the National Press Club yesterday.

Shafiqul Alam Mehdi, Chairman of Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, Shamnoon Chowdhury, PR and Communication Executive of Marketing of Banglalink, among others, were present at the conference.

The competition, which spanned over a month invited photography associations, and photographers from across the country to submit their best photographers.

After the month long campaign a panel of experts selected the top 200 entries. These selected photographs will now be exhibited at the National Art Gallery of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on July 4 and 5, said the organisers.

Music Revolution Concert today

Art & Culture Report

A concert titled 'Music Revolution Concert' organised by Showbiz Entertainment will be held at Lavel-7 of Bashundara City in the capital today.

Fuad featuring Sumon (Aurthohin), Anila, Topu (Yaatri), Mila, Shuvo, Niloy and band groups Black, Arbovirus and Powersurge will perform in the show.

Price of each ticket will be Tk 170. The New Nation, Amar Desh, RTV, Radio Foorti and Binodondhara are media partners of the concert.

The concert will start at 3:00pm and the gate will be opened at 2:00pm.

Loko Utsab in Khulna

Local artists perform at the folk festival

Art & Culture Desk

A 'Loko Utsab' (folk festival) was held at the Zia Hall Complex in Khulna recently.

Loko Sangeet Academy of Khulna Radio along with other leading cultural organisations of Khulna jointly organised the festival.

Banglalink, the second leading telecommunications service provider in the country, was the partner of the festival.

The three-day annual folk festival was started on June 27. Moniruzzaman Moni, Mayor of Khulna City Corporation (KCC), inaugurated the festival as chief guest, while Babul Huq, Regional Commercial Head of Banglalink, was present as special guest on the occasion.

The festival attracted hundreds of participants from all over of Khulna.

Khulna has a rich cultural heritage of popular Lalon music, Gazir Gaan, Royani Gaan, Potgaan and other such folk music and dance. The aim of the event was to showcase the traditional cultural heritage of the Khulna Region as well as make them popular to the younger generation.

Teams and artists from all the ten districts of Khulna region performed their own cultural activities in the event over these days.

Apart from cultural performances three veterans individually received awards for their contributions to cultural movement in their respective fields in Khulna. Among them Ustad Sheikh Ali Ahmed for his contribution to Folk music.

Prof Golam Mostafa conducted a discussion on 'Folk Music of the Khulna Region.'

Banglalink, have always supported local cultural activities through partnership and promotion of such programs.