Page 312 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

FIRST GENERATION ARTIST 309

b. Quamrul Hassan
Syed Azizul Huq

Quamrul Hassan (1921-1988) is a brilliant personality in the field of art and culture of
Bangladesh. In the arena of art, his name comes right after Zainul Abedin (1914-1976).
His lifelong devotion to Bengali identity, patriotism and the courage to speak out the
truth has glorified his existence. His world of art is close to the root of Bangladesh,
seeped in tradition, yet modern in nature. He has relentlessly rebelled against injustice
and narrow-mindedness – and struggled to keep our cultural field alive with
progressive ideas. He was physically strong and responsible in nature; during his
adolescence and youth he tirelessly dedicated himself towards development of children
and teenagers and took part in the Brotochari movement; besides being involved in
physical exercise. Since his early youth until his death he occupied himself with art and
development of the culture of Bangladesh. He was able to develop individuality in his
art and his life’s ideal of altruism was exemplary which lent him distinction. He
actively participated in all the progressive movements of the country including the
Language Movement in 1952, the mass uprisal in 1969, and the Liberation War in
1971. As a result, his political awareness became an integral part of his cultural ideas.
His devotion for art became synonymous with love for humanity.
Quamrul Hassan, an artist of versatile creativity, developed his art through constant
experimentation. His penchant for experimentation helped him appreciate the
multiplicity of diverse media. As he worked in multiple media, it was also easy for him
to master the diverse language of art. The ideal of his art is centered in his love for
tradition. He achieved enviable success by synthesizing modernity with folk tradition. A
unique combination of occidental and oriental trends has lent significance to his art. Until
his death he was deeply engrossed in the search for beauty at the root of human existence.
As a result, he has tirelessly portrayed the beauty and postures of Bengali women. fig. 8.10 Quamrul Hassan
Life history: Kolkata period
Quamrul Hassan was born in a religious and conservative family in
Kolkata, in December 2 of 1921. His grandfather and father were Urdu-
speaking Bengalis. His rebellious nature resisted his father’s love for
Urdu. He won in an argument with his father, centering on the issue of
enrolling his younger sister in an Urdu school. His second rebellion
was also against his father’s backward mentality. His religious father
did not approve of his practice of art and art education at all. After he
completed class six in the Model M E School located in the European
Asylum Lane of Kolkata, his father enrolled him in Calcutta Madrasa
(1936). But his devotion for art was so strong that he was determined
to get enrolled in Calcutta Art School. This is why the two-year long