Md Tokon
Painter
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Bangladeshi expatriate painter Md Tokon is deeply into abstract expressionism. Before leaving for New York, the artist spent most of his time in Jhenidah and Dhaka. Urban life and its socio-economic aspects, as well as the surrounding atmosphere, have made a great impact on his work and contributed to Tokon's gradual transformation into an abstract, expressionist painter.
The artist has been living in New York for the last 11 years. He learned varied techniques and methods from noted abstract expressionists and his work, thus, gradually became precise and mature.
In the last few years, Tokon has been working with The Art Students League of New York, where he has found acclaimed painters like Ronnie Landfield, Larry Poons and Mariano Del Rosario as his instructors.
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Over a large span of his time, Tokon has voyaged through the art of great American abstract expressionists; he has meticulously observed their paintings, which inclined him to re-examine his own work. The painter feels that master artists like Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning gave him a taste of liberty and assisted him in finding his individuality in thinking.
Tokon considers himself as a peaceful artist; his thought pattern is simple yet unique. The artist usually uses flat colours and creates several textures and forms on the canvas. Colours and amorphous forms are noticeable features of his paintings. His compositions reveal rough texture and sensuous arrangement of space -- the high points of his works.
Tokon's paintings plunge deep into nature, human relationships, personal loss, social injustice and inner visions. His works delineate dreams and illusions; his compositions are not neatly organised, and at times highlight patchy textures. His paintings articulate nature's unobserved beauty. In his use of colour he has displayed a certain romantic concern for vivacious, lively hues and soulful textures.
Occasionally, tiny forms are scattered in Tokon's paintings and the colours look smooth and tranquil, which provide a lucid effect to his works. His paintings are marked by a preoccupation with time and history.
By Takir Hossain
Ronni Ahmmed
Painter & Printmaker
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Through his paintings, contemplative artist Ronni Ahmmed focuses on myths, and merges the past and the future of man and nature. He applies varied symbols, motifs and fantastic elements, using human forms, animals and varied surrealistic imageries from his imagination and his thoughts.
Ronni's works hold a kind of illusory atmosphere, which seems unfamiliar but this depiction of an apparently unknown civilisation or community expresses the same kind of message one gets when confronted with strange reality.
Absurdity, mockery, brutality, power play, hypocrisy, hallucination, loneliness, science -- all these get diffused in his visions. The artist is seemingly fascinated with myth and its many aspects and his message has been integrated in his tinted paintings.
Ronni Ahmed believes in the uniqueness of an individual, which he endeavours to present via paintings that are lined with fine touches of absurdity and morbid melancholy. He is mainly a storyteller of the ludicrous and this young exponent tells his stories in an unusually humorous way. He tries to focus on various sides of our society. He never misses any incident, which happens in front of him.
Ronni's works criticise different elements in our existence, giving us an unusual insight into the realm of a world beyond.
The painter makes us realise that the introduction of fantasy and illusion in our world is only for bridging gaps difficult to perceive in mundane concrete terms. This toying with the vicarious, illusory world is necessary for in the present times we tend to forget that peace and a serene ambience are continuously striving to be perennial part of our surroundings. Idiosyncrasy and social trespasses are also covered in Ronni's work. He truly leads us to an unfamiliar and fascinating world.
By Takir Hossain
Shohag Parvez
Painter
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Shohag Parvez, considered one of the most dedicated among contemporary Bangladeshi painters, has a passion for portraying the splendour of serene environment, riverine life, cloudy sky and hilly areas. He believes that we are all part of nature but some of us closely observe nature with intense passion.
As a thoughtful painter, Shohag concentrates on the consistency of colours, rough textures and mind-boggling features. For their unique application on the canvas, the colours come across as vibrant and the forms, as well as compositions, seem beautifully adorned. The painter likes to work on big canvases and this orients him towards work that can simply be categorised as fervent and courageous.
Shohag's watercolours are superb in terms of his personal techniques. His technique is particularly based on flat wash and thin colour. He seeks to depict the sparkle and simplicity of nature through these images. He is also a skilled oil painter.
His career began as a naturist painter, demonstrating the panoramic world with its rich abundance of colours, views, light, shade and calmness. He prefers seasonal changes, tranquil landscapes, lakes, mustard and green paddy fields in autumn, rainy days and blue sky. He portrays landscapes in their essential harmony.
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Solitude and serenity are two vital components in Shohag's works. The subjects are often in a solemn mood and their characteristics highlighted. Light is a prominent feature in the works and the artist generally prefers incandescent light and mystifying setting.
At times, his figures (villagers and farmers) look immobile. The painter feels propelled to demonstrate their everyday woes and bliss on his canvas.
Shohag has delved deep into the ambience of winter and foliage, the beauty of rivers and rustic culture. He was born in Kushtia and his village is close to the Gorai river, where he spent his leisure time in childhood. Most of his detailed and refined works are done in drawings where varied shades and tenors give a distinct look to his works.
Shohag's quiet and profoundly meditative landscape contains a symbolism that alludes to peace and hope. He produces plein air watercolour and focuses his attention on impressive phenomena such as soft light and drizzle, which reflects his detailed study on landscape. His acrylic and poster colours have varied tonal effects.
Azure, emerald green, yellow, black and white are predominant aspects in his works. His lines are lyrical and spontaneous. Meticulous balancing of light and shade is another noticeable trait of his works, most of which have a pictorial space where boats, ships are navigating on the river and inland waterways.
By Takir Hossain