Page 141 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

138 ART AND CRAFTS

Alak Roy (1950- ) studied in the painting Department of the Institute of Fine Art of Dhaka
for his BFA. He than went on to study murals at the MS University of Baroda for his
MFA. He studied terracotta there as the pupil of famous artist K.G. Subramanyan. In the
early stages, his work showed considerable influence of Subramanyan. It showed the
capacity for creating different textures in clay, coiling and twisting clay to create forms,
experimentation with the quality of clay. His work was formed from slabs of clay. He
began with creating relief sculptures. Later he went on to free-stranding work. Due to
working directly in clay, the cylindrical form is predominant in his work. His work has
basically turned to the portrait (pl. 2.17). However, the expressionistic quality of his early
portraits (fig. 2.45) is not to be seen in his later work. His simplified portraits hint at
primitivism. His work showed the combinations of multiple forms from the eighties and
was installed on sand, coal or brick chips and other materials. Alak Roy is inspired by the
tradition of terracotta of Bangladesh in terms of medium and technique. He uses color in
his work in the ceramic medium. He also works in the medium of wood and stone.
In 1974 Shamim Shikdar (1953- ) finished her BFA in sculpture from the Institute of Fine
Art. She concentrated on portraits and became well known in this field (pl.2.18). She has
created many portraits of eminent personalities.
Md. Enamul Huq (1954 - ) was born in Dhaka. He completed his BFA in sculpture in 1980
and MFA degree from the MS University of Baroda in 1985. His work is mainly figurative.
The main elements of his sculpture are groups of people and people in association with
architectural elements. He shows particular interest in metal casting (pl. 2.19).
Rasha (1958- ) was born in Comilla district. He was associated with the Bulbul Lalitkala
Academy (BAFA). He is unique for his figurative sculpture in the wood-carving medium.
He practices sculpture in both the carving and modeling methods. But his skill in
woodcarving is acclaimed (pl. 2.20). His work became well known through various
National and Asian art exhibitions. 104
Akhtar Jahan Ivy (1958 - ) was born in Bogra. She completed her BFA from the Institute
of Fine Art, Dhaka in 1980. She studied sculpture from 1988-
1989 at Santiniketan, Visva Bharati The prime characteristic
of her work is simplifying and abstracting from nature and the
known world. As subject, she has taken the mud houses of her
birthplace, Bogra (pl. 2.20). This again conjures up memories
of the ancient ruins of Mahasthan by the Korotoya. The life
force of the tiny seed is a symbol of nature’s endless energy
and has become a main subject of her sculpture. 105 The bird
has continued to be one of her themes. She is comfortable in
fig. 2.47 (top) Sultanul both the media of casting and welding.
Islam, Life Circle, Md. Towfiqur Rahman (1959- ) was born in Shariatpur. He
cement, 1985
completed his BFA from the Sculpture Department of the Art
Institute in Dhaka in 1981 and his MFA from the Central
fig. 2.48 (bottom)
Mahbub Jamal, Girl, Academy of Fine Art, Beijing. In the nineties his figurative
cement, 1990 sculptures in welded metal presented people and their