Page 352 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

FIRST GENERATION ARTIST 349

52. Sovon Som, op. cit., 94-95.
53. S. A. Huq, op. cit., 14.
54. Mr. Ghosh, op. cit., 168.
55. Quamrul Hassan, ‘Amar Master Saheb,’ Zainul Smriti, op. cit., 47-48.
56. The proof of this can be found in the autobiographical book Chhabir Chashmay, (Calcutta 1995) by
the legendary artist of the academic method of that age, Hemendranath Majumdar. Here he severely
criticized the growth of the new trend in art and the great enthusiasm about it among art lovers.
57. S. A. Huq, op. cit., 14.
58. Loc. cit.
59. Nazrul Islam, Zainul Abedin Tanr Kaj O Katha, op. cit., 29.
60. ‘A student of the final year Zainul Abedin was appointed in the post of Abdul Moin . . . by Principal
Mukul Chandra Dey. This is a memorable event in the Government Art School of Kolkata.’ [Trans.].
Gautam Das, op. cit., 181. ‘As a student of the fifth year in 1937, Zainul was appointed as teacher
against a vacant post of the Art School through special arrangements made by the Education
Department.’ [Trans.]. S. A. Huq, op. cit., 14. However, the fact that even during the British Period the
Bengalis were able to give recognition to talent is brilliantly exemplified by the Art College of Mukul
Dey and by Zainul Abedin.’ [Trans.], Nazrul Islam, op. cit., 28.
61. S. A. Huq, op. cit., 14.
62. In this context the advice given to one of the students by Abedin was, ‘Not feeling how it is to ride on
a boat, without being rocked, son, how will you understand the boat. And how will you draw a picture
of a boat.’ [Trans.]. Keramat Mowla, ‘Apan Manush,’ Zainul Smriti, op. cit., 89.
63. In the forties the artist Somnath Hore (from 1945 to 1947) and in the sixties Artist Rafiqun Nabi (1959-
1964) were students of Zainul. Both of them have expressed this in personal discussions with the author.
64. S. A. Huq, op. cit., 15.
65. Nisar Hossain, ‘Zainul Abedin O Bangladesher Chitrakala Andolon,’ Prasanga, Issue 3, (Chittagong,
Bhadra 1394 Bengali Year), 17. That these were drawn in the studio can be ascertained from the
written statement of the eye witness Shawkat Osman, ‘The birthing room of the series of drawings
mentioned was the drawing-dining-cum-studio space of number fourteen.’ [Trans.]. Shawkat Osman,
‘Biswa Bhramyaman Gramyajan Zainul Abedin,’ Zainul Smriti, op. cit., 39.
66. S. Som, op. cit., 106.
67. N. Islam, op. cit., 13.
68. M. Ghosh, op. cit., 255.
69. S. Som, op. cit., 95. Renowned art critic Sovon Som of India has written, ‘These are amazing drawings
free from the obscurity of allegory, the mystery of symbols, the complexity of style which have no
comparison in this country.’ [Trans.].
70. Ibid., 106.
71. In Kolkata on 10 and 11 October, 1944 the first Provincial Conference on Political Literature was
organized by National Book Agency. The presence of Zainul Abedin at the conference with eminent
personalities with leftist oriented ideals such as Manik Bandopadhyaya, Satyen Majumdar and others
was published of special importance in Janajuddha, the journal of the Communist Party. Vide: Samir
Das Gupta, Gana Andoloner Chhapakhana Communist Party O Samadarshi SambadSangbadpatrer
Kramaparjay, (Calcutta 1996), 131. ‘In the beginning of nineteen forty five when the war was nearing
the end, the daily People’s War presented Zainul as a member of the anti-fascist writers and artists
association.’ [Trans.], S. Som, op. cit., 106. ‘In the period between 1944-1945 Zainul was invited to
every meeting and function of the anti-fascist writers and artists association and people’s theatre
association.’ [Trans.]. S. A. Huq, op. cit., 17.
72. Nisar Hossain, op. cit., 9.
73. S. Osman, op. cit., 39.
74. N. Islam, op. cit., 76.
75. Humayun Azad, Shilpakalar Bimanabikikaran O Anyanya Prabandha, (Dhaka 1988), 67.
76. S. A. Huq, op. cit., 17.
77. Artist Aminul Islam has written, ‘At the end of May 1947 I went to Kolkata to get admission to the
Art School . ... It was probably on 7 June that I went to the Art School to sit for the admission test ....
Right the next morning, mustering my courage I went to Abedin Saheb’s house and spoke to him ... .
He too like Safiuddin Saheb let me know – “We are making preparations to go to Dhaka . ... If Pakistan