Tree-man and Wall 3, part of a series -- Tree-man and Wall -- that includes four compositions, features a tree resembling a human figure, breaking through its captivity created by a wall. The symbolic red wall indicates the troubled times and the figure represents an entity who wants to be liberated from constraints of the society. In fact, all compositions of the series share the theme.

Tree-man and Wall series is a continuation of Ashraful's works that focus the interrelation between man and tree. Prior to Tree-man and Wall, the artist has composed other series including Root, Image of Agony Time and Romance with Broken Time, which also deal with contemporary issues, focusing on the bond between man and tree. According to Ashraful: "I find similarities between man and tree, which is why the relationship between the two is a recurring subject in over 40 of my canvases. Though trees are very much alive they can't express their emotions. Similarly, under certain circumstances, man can't express his feelings to others. I try to delineate that dilemma of having to confine one's emotions through drawing similes between them."

What is the nature of the 'confined emotion'? Ashraful responds, "Anguish." Why? "Because, grief is an inevitable part of life. We live in a world where every individual is facing some sort of crisis everyday. Naturally, those predicaments have an impact on my canvases. That however, does not mean that I'm a pessimist. The figures in my works are usually well-developed and robust, implying the potential to overcome crises."

Ashraful Hassan has completed his BFA from Government Art College, Chittagong, under National University and MFA (Painting) from the Department of Fine Arts, University of Chittagong.

Ashraful won the Best Award in Painting category at the 15th Young Artist Art Exhibition (2004), organised by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. He also won awards at competitions organised by the academic institutions he attended.