The New Nation - Internet Edition

Rhythms of figures, forms and nature: Retrospective of Abdur Razzaque

(left to right): Composition -32, oil on canvas,
Self Portrait-6, Oil on Board, 26th March 1971, oil on
canvas and Cactus, metal

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

Artist Abdur Razzaque was some of few talented and dedicated students of the then Government Institute of Arts who played a vital role in the development of the modern western style of painting in Bangladesh. He is simultaneously a painter, a printmaker and a sculptor. He has shown evidence of creativity and skill in each medium.

To commemorate the memory of late artist Abdur Razzaque, Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts has organised a retrospective show titled 'Rhythms of figures, forms and nature.' The 20-day exhibition was inaugurated on October 10.

In the retrospective show, works of artist Abdur Razzaque's six decades were on display. These included watercolour, drawing (pen, ink, pencil, charcoal, pastel), print (etching, aquatint, lithograph, dry point, wood cut), sculpture (white cement, bronze, metal) oil colour and mixed medium.

The exhibition presents his versatility and dedication to art. From the beginning of his career, he liked to work in different media and was always striving to discover the mystery of nature and human beings. In his portrait sketches, he is profoundly true to the characters. The characters remind the expressive and touching emotion, which is very rare and unusual.

Razzaque always tried to articulate the inner essence of nature in many of his works. It is significant that he had a deep capacity to feel and respond to the beauty of nature in his works. He not only produced works, but also introduced an aesthetic and artistic element.

Abdur Razzaque also did figurative work - rural men, goldsmith, his companions, his parents, boatman, hard working people, boats, crows, indigenous flowers, people at leisure and other facets. His landscape transported the viewers far away from urban life. He organised the motifs in different combinations of light and shade.

Although Bangladesh has a rich tradition in sculpture, the practice of modern sculpture was limited to the examples set by Novera Ahmed in the 1950s. As the founding head of the department of sculpture, Razzaque had to take the responsibility to establish an environment for institutional education and training in sculpture in this country.

Razzaque was born in 1932 in Digar Mahishkhali, a remote village in Shariatpur. He passed intermediate science in the second division from Rajendra College in Faridpur in 1945 and took the admission in the newly established the Government Institute of Arts in Dhaka in 1954, securing first position in the first class. He left for the USA in 1955.

A Fullbright scholar, he pursued post-graduate studies at the State University of Iowa and successfully completed a two-year master degree (MFA) in 1957. Indeed, Razzaque was the first Bangladeshi to have earned a master degree in Fine Arts. He visited many countries in Asia and Europe in his professional capacity. In recognition of his comprehensive achievement in the field of the fine arts, Razzaque was awarded the 'Ekushe Padak' in 1989. He also received the 'Bangladesh Charushilpi Sangsad Award' the same year.

He was passionate and introvert and shied away from the atmosphere of humans occupied with fame, wealth and domination.

Artist Razzaque liked to work in bold brush strokes, bright colours, light and shade that mark his figures and forms from the ambience around him. In his use of colours, he frequently went for vital colours from our natural world. His application of paint was also singular and distinctive. His watercolours and oil paintings are highly impressive for their colour, tone and texture. These works are simultaneously of technical excellence and intellectually very mature.

The exhibition will end on October 29.

Hampi, a heaven carved out of stone

Image of the structure of Hampi in
Karnataka

Sabiha Mahmud Sumi

A village situated in within the rocks of northern Karnataka state in India is the famous historical site of Hampi. Its renowned temples and architectural value makes a place as such more exquisite. The name Hampi, derives from the old name of he Tungabhadra River, Pampa. Hampi was built on the banks of this river and is the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. Hampi is located within the ruins of Vijayanagara, and continues to be known as an important religious centre as it houses the Virupaksha Temple, the Vithala Temple and a lot of other temples. The village of Hampi also contains several other monuments belonging to the old city. It extends into some of the old ceremonial streets of Vijayanagara.

Hampi is known through the historical Kishkindha, the Vanara (monkey) kingdom, as it finds its position in the great tale of Ramayana. The first historical settlements in Hampi date back to 1CE. Hampi formed one of the cores of the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. It was destroyed by Muslim Sultans. Hampi was chosen to be the capital because of its strategic location, bounded by the torrential Tungabhadra River on one side and surrounded by defensible hills on the other three sides. The site is of great importance in terms of architecture and historical significance. The demography is abundant with large stones, which have been utilized to make larger than life stature of god. One can see a structure of historic importance every quarter of a mile. However, this city is in ruins due to invading Islamic aggression that treat Idol worship as blasphemy. Many statuses have been destroyed or damaged and successive governments have not been able to keep the place free from treasure seekers who cause further damage to this city. However, excavations in the area are being continued to discover more artefacts and temples.

Hampi is situated on the banks of the Tungabhadra River. It is 353km away from Bangalore, 254km from Bijapur and 74km away from Bellary. Hosapete, 13km away, is the nearest taluka headquarters. The main languages spoken there are Kannada and Telugu. The principal industries of the village are agriculture, the support of the Virupaksha temple and some other local holy places in the vicinity, and tourism. The splendid remains of palaces and gateways of the broken city tell a tale of men infinite talent and power of creativity together with his capacity for senseless destruction.

The Hampi Bazaar is one of the main sites of Hampi, as it is in the centre of Hampi and is situated on a very beautiful street with very beautiful houses. One of the most important sites of Hampi is the Virupaksha Temple. It rises majestically at the western end of the famous Hampi Bazaar. The temple has 120ft tall tower on its eastern entrance. The temple contains the shrines of Shiva, Pampa and Bhuvaneswari Parts of this temple are older than the Vijayanagara kingdom itself. The work of this style dates back to the 11th or 12th century. Another interesting site would be the 6.7m tall monolith of Ugra Narasimha. This is said to be hewn from a single rock boulder and was built during the reign of Krishnadeva Raya. Of course, the Vithala Temple Complex is definitely one of the most well known sites as it contains 56 musical pillars and to the east of the hall stands the famous Stone Chariot with stone wheels that actually revolve. In front of the shrine stands the great mantapa. These are only some of the main architectures in the city of Hampi as there are about 200 other temples that can be seen while at Hampi.

Hampi is definitely a huge tourist attraction; over the years the city has also changed to adapt these tourists with necessary guesthouses and clothes stores along the street. It is definitely a place one should have on their visiting list, as its told beauty is less than the real beauty of the place. If dreams were made out of stones, it would definitely be called Hampi.

(The writer is a Bangladeshi student of grade 11, Kodaikanal International School in Tamil Nadu, India).