Art movements between 1948 and 2000

Takir Hossain

Artwork by Syed Jahangir

THE history of contemporary art in Bangladesh begins at the time of partition of the subcontinent in 1947, when Zainul Abedin and some of his contemporaries

Habibullah Bahar, Shafiqul Amin, Quamrul Hassan, Khaja Shafique Ahmed, Safiuddin

Ahmed, Anwarul Haq, Ali Ahsan (some of them) migrated from West Bengal to establish an art institution in Dacca (Now Dhaka). Among them, Zainul Abedin is considered to be the pioneer of the modern art movement in our country. He firstly felt of an art institution in our country (East Pakistan) when he was a student of the Government School of Art, Calcutta (now Kolkata). Afterward they established the Government College of Arts and Crafts in 1948, which is the first art education centre in the newly shaped state.

Among the founding members of the Dacca Art College, Zainul Abedin, Quamrul Hassan, Shafiqul Amin and Safiuddin Ahmed were famous for their artistic endeavors. However, only two of them-- Shafiqul Amin and Safiuddin Ahmed are still alive. They studied at the Government School of Art, Calcutta and they were lucky to get some legendary teachers in their study period. Afterwards, this helped them to establish the art institution in Dacca.

It is noticeable that veteran painters Mohammad Kibria and SM Sultan are not students of the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Dacca and not directly involved in its establishment. Both the painters have had a significant contribution to Bangladeshi art. Kibria graduated from the Government School of Art, Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1950. At one stage SM Sultan joined the Calcutta Art School but he left the institute without completing the degree. The great masters' works and their modes of expressions however reflect their outstanding pigment as well as loyalty to motherland.

When we talk about Bangladeshi art and its gradual development, we need to go through the life and works of some legendary painters like Zainul Abedin, Quamrul Hassan, Shafiqul Amin, Safiuddin Ahmed, Mohammad Kibria and SM Sultan. Let us have a look into the matter, one by one:

Zainul Abedin (1914-1976) spent his childhood in remote area of Mymensingh and he took inspiration from lush greenery, riverine beauty of the Brahmaputra and its rustic surroundings. He went to Calcutta (now Kolkata) to study art in Calcutta Government Art School in 1933. During the period, he was famous for his superb watercolour technique and sharp line drawings. “Famine Sketch” recalls the famine days of 1943. The painter was mainly recognised for portraying this period of work.

Clockwise: artwork by Rafiqun Nabi, artwork by Safiuddin Ahmed, Artwork by Monirul Islam

Quamrul Hassan (1921-1988) was recognised for retrieving our folk and traditional elements through his art. Hassan was an influential artist working in almost all media like oil, gouache, watercolours, pastel, etching, woodcut, linocut, pen and pencil. Hassan's works delineated the rural Bengal and its people. He portrayed figures, natural objects, trees, snakes, owls, jackals, birds, fish, animals as well as landscape where we can see his passion about portraying rustic scenic beauty and its untainted beauty. Pastoral women and their dilemma is a recurrent theme in his works. He mingles romanticism with realism, focusing on strong curved lines, contours, and contrasted use of colour.

Shafiqul Amin (1912) is the senior-most surviving painter in Bangladesh. He was born in Shillong, India. He studied art at Government School of Art, Calcutta. He joined Faridpur Zilla School as an art teacher in 1938. Then he worked at David Hare Training College as drawing teacher in 1945. He later joined the Calcutta Govt. Art College as designer in 1946. He is an expert in drawing, caricature and watercolour. He did some paintings at the onset of his career. The paintings are symbolic narratives, depicting ambiance. His work addresses his multi-faceted identity, urban and rural atmosphere and their beauties. After partition, he came back to Dacca (now Dhaka) and helped Zainul Abedin set up the Art College.

Safiuddin Ahmed (1922) is another senior-most surviving painter in Bangladesh. He was born in West Bengal and migrated to Dhaka after Partition (1947). From the beginning of his career, he has been very contemplative. He is very thorough with his lines, colours and forms. The veteran painter is now bedridden and detached from his creative world. Ahmed is particularly known for his woodcut engraving. His works highlighted velvety panoramic beauty, everyday life, effects of calamities and such. His in-depth observation helped him explore the ins and outs of the themes. Black is the predominant shade in his works and the artist experimented with layers of this colour. His works are technique oriented as well.

Mohammad Kibria (1929) was born in Birbhum in 1929 and he graduated from the Government School of Art, Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1950. He moved to Dhaka in 1951 where he started his career as an art teacher at the Nawabpur High School. In 1954 he joined as a teacher at the Government College of Arts and Crafts, currently the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka. Afterwards, he studied painting and graphics at Tokyo University of Fine Arts as well. During that time the artist focused on colours and textures. Then he moved on to experimenting with pure geometrical forms. His works denote the inner journey. Blue, black, grey, orange and brown are noticeable hues in his works.

SM Sultan (1923-1994) was a self taught painter, born to improvised parents in Narail in 1923. A bohemian and mystic, Sultan delved deep into rural life, especially fishermen, peasants, labourers and their simple lives. His paintings visually narrate stories of rural households, where men and women are seen busy doing chores and farmers toiling in the fields. His figures are muscled and powerful, denoting a sense of prosperity -- a vision the artist had for rural Bengal. Sultan drew the male figures according to European Renaissance tradition, while his women -- buxom and curvaceous -- belong to the old Indian tradition.

Artwork by Iftikhar Uddin Ahmed and artwork by Mohammad Kibria

It is noteworthy that the first batch initiated of the Government College of Arts and Crafts in 1948 with the students of Aminul Islam, Hamidur Rahman, Abdur Rahman Bhuiyan, Abdul Kader, Mohammad Ismail, Alfazuddin Khandakar, Nurul Islam, Khaled Chowdhury, Shamsul Alam, Imdad Hossain, Julfikar Ali, Probash Sen, Loknath Dhor, Bazle Moula and Ali Humayun. The groups were very committed and most of them involved in left leaning parties. They portrayed nature, urban life and surrounding atmosphere. During the time, Dacca (Now Dhaka) was a tranquil city and it had lots of greenery places. Painters frequently visited Buriganga River, Waiz Ghat and other panoramic places to portray nature with the guidance of their teachers. Zainul Abedin especially stressed on drawing and he successfully understood them about this genre of art and its various significant aspects. The students also portrayed political chaos, economic crises, city life, rural life, still life and other subjects. Some of them were greatly influenced by internationally acclaimed impressionist painters.

In 1950s, it was hardly being found students to study in Art College. The founding members roved door to door for searching students. Fortunately, they got a bunch of students and started second batch with the students like Murtaja Baseer, Rashid Chowdhury, Quayyum Chowdhury, Abdur Razzaque and more. In a similar pattern, they started third batch which covered Syed Jahangir, Mobinul Azim, Abdus Shaboor, Mohammad Idris, Mostafa Kamal and others.

Among the students of first, second and third batches, Aminul Islam (1931), Hamidur Rahman (1928- 1988), Murtaja Baseer (1932), Rashid Chowdhury (1932-1986), Quayyum Chowdhury (1934), Abdur Razzaque (1932-2005), Syed Jahangir (1935), Mobinul Azim (1934-1975) have excelled them as reputed painters. Most of them are treated as experimental painters. They continuously dwelt on space, form and composition. Though the movement of the sixties was heavily influenced by few internationally prominent Abstract Expressionists like Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman, Franz Kline and Adolph Gottlieb, it paved the way towards liberalisation. Thus the present accomplishments of Bangladesh's art owes to the liberalization. However, these artists of the three batches have their specialties that differ one from another:

Aminul Islam made an immense contribution by introducing modern paintings in Bangladesh. From the beginning, his works have been closely linked with nature and its various mysterious aspects. After completing his BFA, Aminul went to Florence to pursue higher studies in art in 1953. After moving back to Dacca, his style underwent a fundamental change. Lines, colours and space became the prime focus in his paintings. He is also a mural painter. He did many mural works in different parts of the country. The painter has now been critically ill and bedridden at his home in Gulshan.

Murtaja Baseer is known as a versatile genius. Throughout his illustrious career, he has been approaching several styles and mediums. At the age of 78, he is still actively exploring the diverse world of art. He has done a series of works articulating the contemporary life, time and issues. His works delve deep into figurative and abstract styles. His present works are slightly different from the artist's previous works, as they highlight uneven texture. His previous works' texture and surface are more smooth and silky.

Syed Jahangir is greatly influenced by American Expressionism and his themes are closely connected to rural Bengal and its rivers. Harvest, fishing on a moonlit night, paddy fields are frequent themes in his works. His works at the exhibition feature figures and objects that look more polished. Blue, golden, green and red are dominant colours in his works.

Abdur Razzaque is regarded as one of the greatest sculptors of our country. He was the first person to take up sculpture in the independent country from the centre point of Joydevpur in Dhaka. A resourceful individual in arts, he was not only immersed in the sculpture medium, but print making and painting were also among his favourite media of expression. He had shown outstanding evidence in both creativity and skill in each branch. Even on the day prior to his death, he was silently involved in his work. Razzaque was 73 when he passed away in 2005. With a long and chequered life, he gradually transformed himself into an abstract expressionist painter. His works were form and colour-oriented and nature was a recurring leitmotif in his works.

Mobinul Azim another legendary painter of Bangladesh died in 1975, at the peak of his artistic career. He produced many paintings, watercolours and sketches in the course of his short career. A hardworking and reflective introvert, Azim spent a significant part of his career in Karachi, Pakistan -- a hub for artists, poets, writers and novelists at the time. He returned to Dhaka for good after the Liberation War and devoted himself to painting. Azim set out as a naturist and figurative painter. In the early stages of his career, nature played a major role in his works. Along with natural elements, colour was a predominant aspect of his works. His canvases are marked with pigment and fluidity. A good interaction between use of space and objects always carried an individual and aesthetic trademark in his works. During a certain phase of his career, Azim focused on boats. He drew forms of boats that resembled the image of a new moon or crescent. The interplay of darkness and light was another significant characteristic of his works.

In 1950s and 1960s were very significant times for the painters of our country.

In mid 50s, a number of painters went abroad to take higher education on their preferred fields. Besides their acquiring education, they got chance to visit many European museums and earned knowledge about modern art. After completion their studies, they came back and started to practice art with novel and refreshing themes and styles. The painters included Hamidur Rahman, Aminul Islam, Murtaja Baseer, Rashid Chowdhury, Abdur Razzaque and others. During the time, these groups of painters were greatly influenced by abstract expressionism, lyrical abstraction, pure abstraction and non-figuration. This time, artists concentrated on textures, forms, tones, especially they concentrated more on technical aspects.

In the same time, one group started to work with emotions and the other worked with intelligence. Gradually, forms and compositions were the predominant aspects in the group of painters. Forms and symbols carried many distinct languages, which were closely connected to political turmoil, instability, economic crises and social discrimination.

After mid 60s, a number of painters focused on nationalism in their works. They started to explore tradition, folk motifs. The artists of this genre worked more or less in a mixture of western naturalism, Bengal School and folk expressions. Quamrul Hassan, Rashid Chowdhury, Qayyum Chowdhury, Abu Taher, Samarjit Roy Chowdhury, Rafiqun Nabi, Hashem Khan are the main artists in the group. Let us have a look into the matter, one by one:

Artwork by Murtaja Baseer

Abu Taher's canvas is usually engrossed with thick colours, broken lines and various vague shapes and forms. Sometimes his works look rigid, as he does not leave free any space on his canvas. The artist often takes to nature for colour and form. Strong whirling and broken lines and colours dominate Taher's work. The painter is greatly influenced by Willem De Kooning.

Samarjit Roy Chowdhury has been active in the art scene since the early 60s. His canvas features tiny fish, cats, snakes, birds and animals. His lines crisscross over the canvas. Figures -- both male and female -- intimately appear in his works. His pure geometric compositions and delicate spatial arrangements denote fantasy, reality and nostalgia. His use of colour is both meaningful and ornamental.

Rafiqun Nabi is well known for his paintings, woodcut prints and drawings. His paintings delightfully project the serene ambience of nature. Colours usually used by the artist are azure, yellow, ochre, red, black and emerald green -- representing rural Bengal. Nabi does figurative work, painting rural folk, fishermen, kingfishers, broken bridges, buffaloes, boats, crows, wild flowers, people at leisure and gossiping. His landscapes transport the viewer to a higher realm. The artist arranges motifs in different combinations of light and shade.

Hashem Khan likes to portray rural life and daily chores. His painting gives voice to the masses of our country. Green and yellow have been predominantly used in his works. Various abstract forms also find a place on his canvas.

After the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971, the art scene saw a renewed pledge to depict the aspirations of a new nation in multifarious expressions. During that time, a number of painters made the Liberation War, the subject of their works and a number of painters actively participated in the war. After independence, they expressed their experiences through art. There was also a revitalised search for tradition and heritage and a return to the figurative and the generation of the 1970s started working with diverse materials and idioms.

After independence, another transformation had been happened in our art arena. Painters felt free themselves and their artistic creativities explored in well underway. During the time a number of painters went for higher training in different parts of the world. Some were permanently lived there and tried to establish themselves in the new horizon. As expatriate painters, Monirul Islam (Madrid) and Shahabuddin Ahmed (Paris) names come to the prominence. Both painters are dissimilar in their working styles.

Like Monirul Islam controls his mediums and techniques with a certain mastery.

Varied objects are at times directly and at times suggestively portrayed in his works. The artist likes to work with sharp lines, doodles, dots, geometric and architectural forms, and a lot of symbols -- transforming expressions. Space is an integral aspect of his works. Both tranquility and transparency are unique characteristics in his paintings and printmaking (particularly etching and aquatint).

Shahauddin Ahmed's signature traits are vibrant figures and their poignant movements. The movements are quite dissimilar from those of his contemporaries. Each movement makes what amounts to a distinct look and language. The language is closely connected to the time of the country's turbulent birth and its significant aspects. His paintings encapsulate ecstasy, affections and torment. He wants to visually document a certain time, moments, and he has a great tendency to mingle an era with others.

During the early 70s and 80s, a number of earnest painters have come to the light with great zeal and zest. There is no doubt that Bangladeshi art has enriched in touch of them. Their working styles are bold, thought-provoking and their themes are clearly visualized our political, social and cultural arena. Some of those painters articulated their mode of expressions with pure realism while some others with pure abstraction, semi-abstraction or surrealism. Syed Abdullah Khalid, Mahmudul Haque, Swapan Chowdhury, Biren Shome, Monsur-Ul Karim, KMA Quayyum, Mominul Reza, Ranjit Das, Mohammad Eunus, Ahmed Shamsuddoha, Shiekh Afzal belong to this group. Still their works helped them creating different realms of their own through their specialisation:

Syed Abdullah Khalid is simultaneously a sculptor and painter. He is mainly recognised for his “Aparajeyo Bangla”, one of the foremost sculptures on the Liberation War. Most of his sculptures are figure-oriented and a few are symbolic. At the beginning of the '80s, he concentrated on painting. Throughout the '80s and '90s he made his realistic inspirations more visible. Khalid likes to use a big canvas for portraying untainted nature, landscape and still life. Blossoming flowers and dense forest are a recurrent feature in his acrylic- based paintings.

Mahmudul Haque has a fondness for compositions and forms. His paintings can be categorised according to the use of solid forms and compositions. Sometimes his compositions look rigid. His works explore kaleidoscopic patterns and an imaginary world.

Artist Abdus Shakoor Shah is widely recognised for his folk motifs and visual ballads. At the exhibition, most of his works predominantly showcase collages. The artist has pasted pieces of colourful saree and gamchha on his canvas. These pieces give his works a more decorative quality. The canvas appears more vibrant and lively for its slightly cracked surface. His works have always been in oil, acrylic and watercolour.

Swapan Chowdhury is greatly influenced by Shomnath Hore, a noted Indian painter and sculptor. For Chowdhury, the Liberation War remains an unforgettable chapter. He still carries the painful memories from that time. Most of his works symbolically depict the inhumanity a war unleashes. In 1971, the artist, then a fresh fine arts graduate, captured the brutalities, atrocities and killings of the war on his canvas. Most of his works are figurative and composition- based with red, blue, black as major colours.

Liberation War, Language Movement and the eternal beauty of Bangladesh are the major themes of Biren Shome. Throughout his chequered career, the artist has worked on varied themes, portraying them in his personal style and technique. His themes have always been closely connected to the soil of Bengal and its people. His works plunge deep into assortment of forms like abstract, pure-abstract, realistic and semi-realistic.

Artist Monsur Ul Karim came to prominence in the early '70s. The artist present works are slightly different from his early creations. His paintings from 2009 were engrossed with various stiff forms and shapes. For a while, he has been working particularly on the Padma River and its many aspects. As an abstract expressionist painter, he symbolically portrays tides, women bathing and river erosion.

Artwork by Tajuddin Ahmed

KMA Quayyum is a romantic and naturist painter. His works bring to life greenery, flora and other wonders of nature. He is known for his subtle, alluring works. Vivid colour and delicate tonal effects are the main features of his paintings. Quayyum's works are rich with varied lines, tree trunks, wrinkly bark, wild flowers, fish, leaves, ropes, papers, stones, boats, snails and much more. The images come across as parts of waves, at times.

Mominul Reza is a contemplative painter who lives in Bogra. The painter's forms and themes are simple but stand out for their arrangements and eloquence. His paintings are noticeable for their light quality. In earlier times, hangers or clothespins were recurring subjects in his works. Straight lines and psychedelic colours give the works a distinct look. In recent times, Reza has been focusing on colour and form a well as blue, green compositions mingle with each other intimately.

Ranjit Das is considered to be one of the most influential contemporary painters. As an artist he is easily recognised and can interpret diverse dimensions with his outstanding style and techniques, where colours, lines, textures and forms merge together. Das' working style gradually changed after he completed his masters from MS University, Baroda, in India. He was a direct disciple of famous artist KG Subramanian. A straight line or bar across his canvas has become his personal hallmark. His figures display diverse moods. He often concentrates on a particular limb or fraction of a human figure.

Mohammad Eunus prefers pure abstract images. His mode of expression is considered as abstract expressionism. He frequently changes the arrangement of his forms and compositions. In his works, abstraction comes into an interaction with suggestiveness and expresses many meanings of life, time and space. Eunus always tries to focus on rich texture and open space.

Ahmed Shamsuddoha is one of the talented realistic and portrait painters of the country. His works are greatly influenced by impressionism. A socially conscious artist, Shamsuddoha paints people, capturing the diverse moments of their social bindings. He portrays both rural and urban people -- their sufferings, torments, bliss and ecstasies.

Sheikh Afzal likes to portray street children, bullock cart and girls in rural settings. His canvas also often focuses both urban and rural life. He uses loose brushstrokes to delineate the various elements in his compositions, in which the subjects provide movement and colour, living scenes in which light and the atmosphere create a mysterious effect.

Another important event for our art scene was Asian Art Biennale. In 1981, first Asian Art Biennale was held in Dhaka. Since then the festival has been organised by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. The Biennale brings a festive mood among the artists, art enthusiasts and critics. The festival has given us a chance to introduce with overseas painters' artworks, their styles, techniques and themes.

Our artists started to prepare with new ideas and techniques. From that time, our artists' especially young painters started to experiment with themes, lines, compositions, forms and textures. During the phase, many bright painters tried to establish their hallmarks and personal languages.

Between the beginning of the 80s and late 90s, a number of talented painters also permanently migrated abroad to study on their favourite fields. Some are successfully working there and could establish themselves with the contemporary European art. Though they live abroad but their umbilical cords with Bangladesh is still seemingly intact. The painters live in different countries like Kazi Ghiyasuddin (Japan), Shahid Kabir (Madrid), AKM Alamgir Haque (Canada), Maruf Ahmed (Germany), Sahadat Hussain (France), Monirul Islam (USA), Khurshid Alam Saleem (USA), Wakilur Rahman (Germany), Murshida Arzu Alpana (Germany). Let us have a look into their works:

Shahid Kabir has lived and worked in Madrid for a long time. He has settled back in Dhaka and maintains a modest atelier at Kalabagan in the city. Kabir attained fame for his series on Lalon. Later he concentrated on objects from everyday life. Water vessels, teapots, flower vase and fruits are common subjects in his works. Brickfields, riverscape, working women also appear in his paintings. The overall look is faded and unembellished, suggesting a sense of nostalgia.

AKM Alamgir Huque was a familiar figure in the Bangladesh art circuit of the '80s. In that period he excelled both in painting and printmaking and established a personal trademark through his pure abstract works. He acquired some unique techniques in printmaking in that momentous period. Alamgir suddenly left the country for Canada in 1990. Prior to his departure to Canada, he engaged himself as a semi-abstract painter and his themes ranges from nature to the socio-economic and political structure of Bangladesh. His new works have completely transformed and opened a new window for the viewer. The changes are composition, technique and texture- oriented. Sometimes it seems he is more conscious about space and forms. The forms give a cerebral and contemplative look to his works.

Shahadat Hossain is an artist who has been living in Paris since 1987. For the artist, the war of liberation still remains an important fact of life. He still bears the pain that he felt all those years ago. His works now are more sparse. The use of line and texture is minimal; colours are bold and bright. Tonal variations less noticeable at his works and he is continuously exploring the boundaries of expression with the varieties of familiar and unfamiliar forms, sculptural shapes, primitive motifs, folk themes and different botanical motifs like seeds, fruits, roots, trees, foliages as well as numerous indigenous forms.

New York based Bangladeshi artist Khurshid Alam Saleem's s solo painting exhibition was recently held at Shilpangan Contemporary Art Gallery in Dhaka. The painter has drawn inspiration from nature and its various manifestations. Strong brushstrokes and bold colour configuration define the highly abstract work of the painter. As an abstract expressionist, Saleem concentrates on pure forms and compositions where deep red, emerald green, bright yellow, burning crimson and soothing sapphire have been applied in thick overlapping layers. Large and tiny bars, circles, dashes and round shapes -- merging into each other -- suggest the seasons in Bangladesh.

Few years ago, two recognised Bangladeshi painters Tajuddin Ahmed and Iftikhar Uddin Ahmed migrated to Canada. Now they live and work in Toronto. Another painter Mohammad Iqbal came back to Dhaka permanently last year after 12 years stay in Japan.

From the beginning, Tajuddin Ahmed has adored the creation of something novel and innovative, which is very close to the metropolitan community. He hails from Rokonpur under Laxmibazar, one of the historical parts of our Old Dhaka, an over-populated and very congested area. The place is also recognised for ancient buildings and architectural heritages. These images gave him an opportunity to closely observe the beloved city. The changing city, urban life, socio-economic structure, common people and their way of life tremendously affected his mind. All these things are meticulously used in his works. He began his career as a semi-abstract painter. With the passage of time, Tajuddin has refined himself. Consequently, new lines, forms and different types of objects have been added to his works.

Iftikhar Uddin Ahmed hails from Mahuttuly, another historical part of Old Dhaka. His works can be divided into two phases. Before the '90s, he produced figurative works. In this phase, his works mainly represented the disadvantaged and deprived people of the society. Paintings from this period highlight rickshaws, wheels, prostitution, working people and some familiar feature of Old Dhaka. Gradually figures have been missing in his works and various kinds of forms, symbols, textures, oval, triangular and rectangular shapes and lines took over the canvas. Geometric structures and architectural views give a new perspective to his works. Adjoining columns, slabs, walls, broken pillars, compass, broken doors, windows, metre scales, scattered papers are recurring objects in his works. His canvas is truly representative of our modern urban structure.

Cerebral painter Mohammad Iqbal is recognised mainly for his theme- based paintings. His canvases are engrossed with various visible and shadowy figures. The background of most of his compositions is occupied by abstract forms, delightful colours and soft tones. Most of his paintings are oil-based as he is comfortable in the medium and had his higher education in Fine Arts on Oil Painting in Japan. Before going to Japan for his higher studies, the painter's works focused on saints and Bauls. Some of the other motifs in Iqbal's paintings are middle-aged figures, animals, ancient edifice, rivers, vessels, hills and sky. Some of his paintings clearly highlight pure composition. The compositions convey his fondness for translucent lines and tiny forms.

One significant feature of the 80s and 90s is that many women artists have appeared as serious painters and many of them are addressing various kinds of social, cultural and environmental issues like harassment and discrimination of women and children, deforestation, river erosion, communalism, social intolerance etc. In this ground, Atia Islam Anne, Niloofar Chaman, Nazlee Laila Mansur, Fareha Zeba, Dilara Begum Jolly, Murshida Arzu Alpana are most prominent names. The artists portrayed their artistic creativities with different modes like surrealistic, semi-realistic, figurative, symbolic, abstract, semi-abstract and conceptual. Some of their works plunged deep into narrative and absurd art. They are considered to be more social conscious painters as their first focal point was varied social dilemmas and they voices were very similar to the act of anti-establishment. Their paintings articulate their personal observations, experiences, understanding and deep observations on the anomalies in our society -- particularly when it comes to what is now termed the second sex by feminists. The canvases focus on women's regrets, needs, despair and frustration. Their works are crowded with protesting and tormented figures that demonstrate the common and unfortunate features of life. They deal with a variety of subjects in addition to women---- corruption, misplaced idealism and religious bigotry.

During the time, another feature had been added to our art scene. Painters started to extensively exhibit their works abroad and many foreign painters came here for exhibition. The foreign artists exchanged their experiences and thinking process with Bangladeshi painters. And this is the time; painters again got the chance to explore themselves. A good number of young artists are working who are displaying a keen sense of consciousness and are negotiating issues like identity and tradition with a more objective understanding and are attempting to address more relevant national and international issues like globalisation, communalism, feminism, environment and economic and social discrimination in a language which is at the same time contemporaneous and markedly distinctive.

Another significant aspect of the 80s is that artist Nisar Hossain along with his contemporaries like Dali Al Mamun, Dilara Begum Jolly, Habibur Rahman, Shishir Bhattacharjee, Saidul Haque Juise formed a group styled 'Somoy', Time in English, at the beginning of the '80s. The group addressed religious bigotry, superstition, political and social discrimination through their works. Here art has become the voice against all sorts of evil deeds. Their language was different from the so-called mandatory approaches like “Art is Beauty”. They are considered to be anti-establishment. As a pressure-group, it resorted to outrageous tactics to attack the established traditions of art, employing a barrage of manifestations, as well as expositions of absurdist art, intentionally designed to scandalise and shock, both the authorities and the general public. Later on, the group did not continue their artistic activities regularly but some of them started to focus their paradigm individually in their artistic effort. I think this was the time when the artists of younger generation started thinking differently of their visions and imaginations.

In the mid 90s, a big change took the place in Dhaka's art circuit when a number of cerebral painters started looking for new language and new technique. Installation and videography were introduced largely in the time. This time artists like Mahbubur Rahman and Tayeba Begum Lipi felt a great attraction to continue their works in the genre of installation art and at the beginning of 2000 the duo have established Britto, an artists' organisation that promotes installation art. Many artists joined them and explored their creativity with new way. Thought at first Hamiduzzaman Khan introduced installation in Bangladesh in 1978 where he focused on historical natural disaster Urir Char Cyclone (The incident occurred in 1985).

Besides these genres of art, a number of painters regularly exhibit their works and they have tried to establish a personal language. Among them, Mustapha Khalid Palash, Samiran Chowdhury, Fokhrul Islam, Mustafa Zaman, Anisuzzaman, Ronni Ahmed, Imtiaj Islam Shohag, Maksuda Iqbal Nipa, Anukul Majumdar, Habiba Akther Papia have widely drawn the attention of art connoisseurs and art enthusiasts. We need to highlight their works too.

Mustapha Khalid Palash is a very well known architect in our country. Besides being an architect, he is also an ardent painter. As an admirer of nature, Palash portrays deep forests, searching out its mystical beauty. He feels that nature helps us to explore our identity and existence. His individual view of nature is distinct because of its quiet and silent appearance. As an architect, Palash usually concentrates on his city, Dhaka. The city's hustle and bustle, its architectural elements and vicariousness are also focused in his art works. Dhaka's raw structure and its compact atmosphere are captured in his works with liveliness and intimacy.

Samiran Chowdhury is now recognised as a pure abstract painter and prefers to highlight in pleasant splendour the themes of the spiritual world and emotions. Samiran's paintings, infused with great spiritual intensity, engage the viewer with great emotional force, inspiring contemplation and meditation. He considers pure colour to be the means of expressing emotions. Samiran's abstractions are composition and form based. Colour composition and some unusual forms are also added in his works. At a point of his artistic career, he did figurative work -- painting men and women, animals, kites, rickshaws, boats, ships, pigeons and sunflowers. During that period, he had a great penchant for portraying the female form against diverse backgrounds. His latest compositions are marked by delicate brush strokes, bright colours, and effects of light and shade. His application of paint is quite distinctive.

Artist Mohammad Fokhrul Islam came to prominence in the mid '90s. As an experimental painter, he delves into dots, points, monochromic images and architectural lines. Glow, simplicity and straight lines are noticeable features of Fokhrul's works. When one looks at his works more intimately, innumerable combinations of lines and tones are noticeable. But the interesting thing is that the lines and tones do not have a chaotic or monotonous impact on his works.

Mustafa Zaman is known as a thoughtful artist whose works invite viewers to engage cerebrally with surrealistic images. His works feature elements of surprise, unexpected combinations and absurdity. Expression of the philosophical movement is the main theme in his works. His works introduce a fantasy world where logic doesn't exist.

Anisuzzaman is one of the well-known printmakers of our country. His woodcut prints have become his claim to fame. Anis' work is a study of urban architecture, construction of human accommodation and a city's structural design. His prints are closely related to geometrical and structural elements where one can easily sense his passion for the language of architecture.

Ronni Ahmed's works hold a kind of illusory atmosphere, which seems unfamiliar to our art milieu. Absurdity, mockery, brutality, power play, hypocrisy, hallucination, loneliness, science -- all these get diffused in his vision.

Bangladeshi expatriate painter Imtiaj Islam Shohag has been working with determination to carve a niche in the Paris art scene. He has been living there since 2002. He has developed styles, which are mainly technique-based. Well-drawn figures also define his images. An interesting aspect of his works is that they often highlight natural disasters and catastrophes. Shohag's images passionately capture fragmented visions. He is keen on shapes and compositions, and the colours are vibrant. The painter works in encaustic medium, which uses heated wax -- coloured pigments are added to that. The paste is then applied to a surface, like wood or canvas.

Maksuda Iqbal Nipa is a symbolic painter. She likes to experiment with colour in all its various facets. Texture gives a distinct look to her work. Nipa applies colour directly, piling up thick layers on the canvas. She concentrates more on the application aspect. This creates a hallmark for her canvas.

Anukul Majumdar's works delve deep into motherhood, childhood and pure rustic ambiances. His figures are replete with substance. His strokes are very rough, with lots of curves and twisted lines. His works give us a deep essence of the meaning of life, affection and quintessence. Anukul hails from a very remote area of Barisal. He evokes his childhood and juvenile days. Swimming, fishing, roaming around the village were regular activities during the days. After leaving the village, the city seemed to him very pale and inanimate. Afterwards, these topics came to his paintings significantly and dramatically.

Habiba Akther Papia is one of the emerging sculptors whose works represent female potency and splendor in our country. She has been continuously experimenting with form, shape and structure and over all the presentation of the sculpture. By and large, movement of figure comes vividly in her works. She constructs human shapes in most of her wooden, bronze and metal sculptures. Wood, stone, bronze and wax are her favourite mediums.

The author is feature writer of The Daily Star.