Page 219 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

216 ART AND CRAFTS

this reason we always find his work innovative. He is continuing his work and
maintaining a balance between the aesthetic value and commercial success of a book.
Different motifs and design have become the major element in his work. He has used
some elements in cover design which were never seen before. The subtle and
sophisticated use of computer graphics gave Dhrubo’s work a new dimension.
However, in illustration for children’s books or magazines, he has been successful in
using his very individual style of drawing. The publication industry of Bangladesh
experienced a combination of variation and modern outlook through his cover and
illustration. Possibly, there has not been such an influential and multi-faceted book
illustrator like Dhrubo Esh after Qayyum Chowdhury.
In the latter half of the 90s and in the first half of the new century, the few artists who
announced their presence through their work are Anisuzzaman Sohel, Kanak Aditya,
Sabyasachi Hajra, Ronni Ahmmed, and Shawon Akand among others. They are all
working in their individual styles.
The total production and appearance of books and the cover designs and illustrations
have changed with the evolution of the printing media in Bangladesh. The period until
the mid 70s can be called the era of block printing. The designers did illustrations
considering the limitations of the media. At the end of the 70s, the widespread
popularity of the offset press in the publication industry had a positive effect on cover
design and illustration. Again, in the beginning of the 90s the massive use of computer
technology brought about a groundbreaking change in the look of Bengali books.
Even though the cover and illustrations are printed in bright multi-colors, not all the
works are high quality. Yet, we can say without doubt that in more than 50 years the
cover and illustration art of Bangladesh has reached a respectable position.
4. Calligraphy and Typography
fig. 4.20 Examples of There is a close relationship between calligraphy and typography although there is a
types used in Bengali subtle difference between the two. In general, calligraphy means beautiful
books from 1778-1799 handwriting. Nandalal Bose came up with a wonderful Bengali synonym of
calligraphy, lekhangkan. Since Charyapada, the earliest example
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of Bengali language to the manuscripts of the Pala era and other
books in the subsequent years, we find samples of Bengali
calligraphy. But Bengali typography originated in the later half of
the 18th century (1778) (fig. 4.20). The reason behind this is that
whenever the alphabet of a language is either written or engraved (as
it happened with copper plate, stone or metal coins), it is important
to maintain the distinctiveness of the alphabets. They take different
forms in different areas and different people. But whenever a
language is printed, the alphabets must have a particular shape. This
is why and how typography originated.
Nathaniel Brassey Halhed’s A Grammar of the Bengal Language
was published from Hooghly in 1778. Charles Wilkins, an employee
of the East India Company is given the credit of making the lettering