The New Nation - Internet Edition

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.