Page 284 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

WOMEN ARTISTS 281

After marriage, inspired by her husband, she
studied painting for almost five years at Kala
Bhavana under the principalship of Nandalal Bose.
In 1935 she completed her studies and joined Kala
Bhavana as teacher to resign after a year. Episodes
and characters from ancient Indian literature were
featured in her paintings. Rural Bengal and the life
of the indigenous people were also included in her
work. Most of her work was rendered in
watercolors and pastels. 40
Kamini Sundari Paul was wife of Shashibhushan
Paul, founder of the Maheshwarpasha School of
Art in 1940. She joined the school as a teacher of
needlework. She won recognition for her
embroidered paintings. She had no institutional training. She was born in
Khalishpur, Khulna in 1883. Her father was called Raichan Das. The subject of her
paintings were portraits of famous personalities and historical incidents like the
Battle of Plassey. 41
After the partition of India in 1947, what is the present Institute of Fine Art under the
University of Dhaka was founded as the ‘Government Institute of Arts’ in 1948. The
first five women admitted to this institution in the 1954-55 session were Tahera
Khanam, Rowshan Ara, Hasina Ali, Jubaida Akter Khatun and Syeda Moyeena Ahsan.
Except Moyeena Ahsan all the others completed their five year course. All these
women came from urban and enlightened families except for Jubaida Akter. It is
known that there was never any opposition from their families for setting off in the
world of art. Tahera Khanam later married the famous artist Qayyum Chowdhury and
continues to paint (fig. 7.15). It must be admitted that these women must have been
very courageous and self-confident to disregard the curious gaze of society and take
up the study of such an unusual subject.
It is also true that later on women who did study at art institutions did not apply their
training to visibly creative activity. Many did not complete their academic studies. It
does not seem easy to combine the social and familial responsibilities of women with
mainstream art practice.
Thus only the women
who have dispensed with fig. 7.14 (top) Novera
social and family life and Ahmed, relief, folk
only as long as they have influence observable
done so have they been
able to contribute to fig. 7.15 (bottom)
Tahera Khanam,
mainstream art. In this Banabithi, watercolor,
respect Novera Ahmed is 1999