From the Insight Desk

A Pioneer in Design

Rafi Hossain

Star Insight generally covers on people from districts other than Dhaka. Regardless of how much we love our country and how much we believe in its potential for growth, we still value foreign products more than local ones. Even many of those seen as 'progressive' don't seem to recognize the quality of Bangladeshi talent.

Brac's Aarong has played a pioneering role in promoting the fashion industry of Bangladesh. Before Aarong, there were not many boutiques. Aarong has given a professional look to Bangladeshi crafts and has presented it to not only to Bangladeshis but to the rest of the world. Among the many people who have contributed to the success of Aarong, a notable one is Chandra Shekhar Shaha, ex-Chief Designer of Aarong. He has roamed the whole country in search of traditional designs and motifs.

Insight has been in contact with Chandra Shekhar for some time now, discussing his long journey so far and his future plans.

Star Insight: You have been in this industry for so long. Did you ever feel the need to establish your own brand?
Chandra Shekhar Shaha: Frankly speaking, I believe in collective work. I want to spread my ideas to others around me. Individually, my name would definitely be better known, but through collective work I have achieved much more. My work has spread to thousands and has transpired from my own generation to the current one. I do not look at this as a hurdle race; it's rather a journey to me where I am always learning and will continue to do so as long as I work in this industry. A plan that is realized through proper teamwork goes miles beyond what just one person could do.

SI: You have developed products of so many sorts in different medium, from handloom to crafts. Do you feel that specialization would be more efficient?
CS: Of course, specialization is generally good. But to me, learning is a continuous process and my experience in working with different media made me an avid student. I am still learning. I really enjoy working with different media simultaneously, and I feel that everyone's creativity can come out only when he experiences different forms of art. When a person gathers enough experience to build a clear aesthetic sense, and learns to appreciate and understand many different art forms, he can create his own. I believe that whatever I have achieved in my life has only been possible because of my diversified experiences. I believe these experiences of mine complement each other. My thought process has become easy and I can play with many forms of arts and crafts. The purity of the mind is very important. Whatever you initiate, I believe that if your mind is pure, the endeavour will eventually be productive.

SI: How do you feel about the replication of art forms?
CS: I feel that it is more important to inspire, rather than to replicate. Someone can find beauty in a traditional art form, but what is important is how it is received. Am I inspired by it? How I use this inspiration depends on how I look at it. Taking the right thing in a wrong way may very well have an opposite effect.

SI: Since there are many duplications nowadays, do you feel that observing too much may be bad as well?
CS: No, I don't think so. Art is created by the amalgamation of technology, skill and emotion. A thing can be observed and transformed in many ways. Merging the usual with the unusual is innovation. If these three vital components are there inside one's thoughts, then no amount of observation is bad.

SI: Do you think artists in general devote this much thought into their work?
CS: That I really cannot say, but believe this is the way true art is created. I can guarantee that spending time behind thinking about these three vital ingredients is in no way a loss for an artist. There are no shortcuts to create any art form.

SI: What inspired you to publish “Behind Products: A Study on Crafts of Bangladesh”?
CS: If you look around, you will find many necessities of daily life which has been developed over generations of designing and redesigning. Once upon a time, the designers of such usual items were referred to as master craftsman, since there creations had both aesthetic and functional value. And this inspired me to create a book about them. I want to research and collect such designs from all over Bangladesh.

SI: It is so exciting that you have made such an interesting book about such ordinary items. But has it been properly publicized? Do the people know about its existence?
CS: No, there definitely has not been enough publicity. But it isn't possible to take care of such marketing details; creating such a research-oriented book was quite laborious. Proper publicity is the media's responsibility. The book has been written jointly with Masrur Mamun Mithun, without whose contribution the book would be impossible to make.

SI: Do you feel that Bangladeshi designs have made any mark in the globe? Do you feel that we have made a place for ourselves?
CS: Certainly not yet. The matter is not as simple as your question. Making a place in this arena is extremely difficult and complicated. We do not even have a proper design institute in the country. Some small institutes have been created through individual attempts, BGMEA is there. All this time, the ready made garments sector has operated using material and designs approved by buyers.

No innovation or local design has been made. But recently, the foreign buyers are requesting a few big firms to innovate the designs by adding a local flavor. With more design opportunities like these, our place will surely be created in the globalized world. We need more time, as we are still young in that respect. But I am hopeful about it. I have seen how much talent Bangladesh has, and through proper guidance and right opportunities, we will make a place for ourselves in the near future.

SI: Do you feel that this process is becoming too lengthy or time consuming?
CS: Proper appreciation and encouragement is very important. If an able man faces continuous disapproval or rejection, he will start to believe that he is useless. So, we should be positive and think positive.

SI: So, you are very hopeful?
CS: I believe wholeheartedly, that we live in a world of opportunity. There are so many fields left unexplored in our country, the exploration of which will ensure more scope for us to create and make our place in the world.

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