Page 310 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

FIRST GENERATION ARTIST 307

history of the art of modern painting of both
the Bengals.’ [Trans.] It is to be mentioned
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that even before Nabanna he covered the
background of the water color entitled Boat
(pl. 8.7) in 1958, with countless signatures
by viewers and thus he also introduced
interactive art to this sub-continent. 99
The painting entitled Manpura-70 is also
executed on horizontally long paper, but it
does not contain descriptions of more than
one event or scene as in Nabanna, likewise,
in spite of it being based on a sudden heart-
breaking natural disaster, it has not been
presented as separate scenes like the
Famine drawings. Here he has tried to
present a total realization in a panoramic
view and in life-size of the most terrible
natural deluge in human memory that happened in the extended coastal areas in a form fig. 8.8 Valiant Freedom
so very close to the viewer that the viewer can experience the horror of the situation by Fighters, drawing, 1971
walking along almost like being on the spot (for its immense length the picture has to
be viewed by walking along). This realization becomes more intense due to the painting
being presented on the inner circle of the wall of a circular gallery; as if the
indescribable horror of the situation closes in on both sides and threatens to engulf the
viewer! It is very surprising that the art work, the viewer and the relation of the ‘empty
space’ between the two, which is especially addressed in the installation 100 art of today
was introduced to the viewers of this country nearly half a century ago through Manpura-
70 painted by Zainul. As in the Famine series, here too due to solidarity with the subject
only black color has been used, yet here the strokes of the brush are not that precise and
sharp. Rather, they are somewhat soft and loose like swollen and bloated corpses (fig.
8.7). However, in contrast to this the strong lines drawn with wax below reveal
themselves on the paper in white, though these clearly express Zainul’s characteristic
identity, they do not disturb the mute silence of the pain-filled painting.
Before this, in 1970, after returning home from observing the war fields of Palestine
he also painted some pictures, and again he painted on the subject of the Liberation
War of 1971, 101 but the deep expression of empathy and emotions that is present in
Manpura-70 and also in the Famine series of 1943, is not to be noted in these pictures
(fig. 8.8). Yet he left genuine proof of his support for the struggle for independence
through refusing the award of ‘Hilal-I-Imtiaz’ that had been conferred on him by the
Pakistan Government. Actually, in post-liberation Bangladesh he had to be involved
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in various kinds of social duties and responsibilities related to the state and also to
realize the dreams that he had cherished of forming some important institutions in
building the nation he had to expend much energy and time. (The important state