The New Nation - Internet Edition

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

“As in Nipa's paintings of the outdoors - a mustard field, for example - she did put an impressionistic dimension to the composition, varying the interplay of light and shade, and infusing a happy or meditative mood into the picture. However, this for her was a phase of united colours and a holistic approach to art. There was no fragmentation in her work, no discomfiture, no experimentation. A certain lightness of treatment distinguished her drawings and paintings," said eminent art critic S Manzoorul Islam about the art works of promising artist Maksuda Iqbal Nipa at her solo exhibition titled 'Mystery of Colour' at the Bengall Gallery of Fine Arts in the capital.

The 10-day exhibition was ended on August 10. Her 24 oil paintings took place in the exhibition.

Nipa has recently returned from Japan, having done her Masters there. About works Nipa said, "Nature and my environment in Japan influenced my recent works, much of which I did in Japan, during I was staying there. It is the autumnal red of the cherry leaves, for instance that is the basis of many of my colours. Landforms and natural objects comprise my works as do a lot of abstract paintings."

Japan is a first world country, so that art materials abound there. Also there are more opportunities to study art at the galleries in Japan than there is here in Bangladesh, she pointed out.

However, the basics taught by her teachers, like artists Rafiqun Nabi, Farida Zaman and Nisar Hussain, have gone a long way to help her further her knowledge. The art of drawing was something she learnt from artist Shishir Bhattacharya. She uses fan-brush for the dotted effect of her paintings, Nipa added.

Nipa paints on three to four canvases together, as she works on oils and they take long to dry. Her favourite colours are blue, yellow and orange. She works in her studio in Dhanmandi.

While analysing her works and working style it is found that designs and textures are seen in her paintings, as she piles colours upon colours. Her obsessions are colours and surface. She uses brush, spatula and knife. Her work is heavily textured, and she works with colours, as does a scientist. She also experiments with the size and shape of her canvases, joining rectangular and triangular pieces to form a whole. She gets her inspiration from beaches, gardens, skies, flowers, leaves and insects.

Being a student of Drawing and Painting in the beginning at the Institute of Art of Dhaka University, she developed a love for oils.

She focuses on oil avoiding acrylic, which today is the vogue. She is inspired by the works of French Impressionists, like Monet and Van Gogh. Their styles and treatment influence her greatly.

She said, "Although there is no connection with my paintings, I also greatly admire the paintings of Klimt. The techniques of Turner and Constable have also left a strong impact on me."

Nipa also experiments with the size and shapes of her canvas. There are some paintings, which have come out of the usual rectangular shape. These are painted on separate pieces of canvas of different sizes - oblong, triangular and other. Then she mounted together for a different interpretation but is impressed by the energy and vision she brings to her work.

She had three solo exhibitions in Japan and won four awards there and here.

Art & Culture Report

Subrata Das has started his artistic pursuits in a very modest fashion. He has chosen to depict nothing magnificent, but only his own working brushes as the dominating image on his canvasses. This is nothing unusual on the part of a beginner who is in desperate quest of a personal vocabulary in the field of paintings. For the majority of his category a soothing and romantic viewpoint of the image would have been the predictable choices. But Subrata has decided to traverse a different track," said Abul Manusr abou the work of budding artist Subratan Das at his solo exhibition titled 'Perception 2' at the Alliance Francaise in Dhanmondi in the city. The exhibition ended recently.

Most of Subrata's works were paintbrushes. These objects were inflated, stretched out and irresistible. The brushes were not something beautiful` or soothing but fearsome and confusing.

This does not mean that Subrata's paintings were ugly or frightening. In some of the paintings the brushes appeared gently bend and curl although they were monstrous and have impossible, frightening features of giants, ghosts and spirits of the wild, with disturbing representations of hands and feet. At times the brushes and paint tubes had ugly teeth and dazzling rickshaw decorations on them, in the form of popular plastic cut-out decorations, seen in the shapes of naively created parrots, flowers and leaves.

Subrata has also tried to depict the socio-economic situations around him, where human being feels limited and quiet.

He was weary of the daily routines of life and was entangled in nightmares of twisted existence around him. The hunger, need and loneliness found among everyday people around us were presented in a surrealistic way.

Subrata took part in more than ten group shows and four workshops.

He won two awards including the 'Honourable Mention Award' of the 16th Young Artists' Art Exhibition of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy this year.