Page 59 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

56 ART AND CRAFTS

organized and subtle sequence of
shadows, and over this he creates a
texture of ornamentation. His colors
are subdued and morose; the forms are
simplified yet decorative. The artist is
living in Spain from the eighties and is
involved in printmaking. However, the
selection of insignificant objects as
subjects of painting, anguished
application of oil painting, and
attempts at representations extending
towards the entirety of the surface
create a different indication (fig. 1.32).
In his practice of art, Mansur ul Karim
is given to experimentation, not
following a certain technique or style
for a long period. Only very recently
has his mature and original manner of
fig. 1.32 Shahid Kabir, expression been strongly established, which has currently especially attracted the
Maria, oil on paper, attention of art connoisseurs. He is always engaged in developing himself by
1998 continuously cultivating and refining his practice and experience. His work was
influenced by Picasso and Cubism in the early stage, and then gradually passed
through Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism to settle temporarily in semi abstract
naturalism, and in later stages, abstraction and semi-abstraction returned along with a
strong presence of the male-female figures in his painting. The colors of his abstract
paintings are serious and solemn; the coating thick and opaque. On the other hand, in
the semiabstract phase of his paintings, bright colors like waves of light are floating
in a spontaneous dance of delight. In the subsequent stage, he abandoned the tendency
of being engrossed in romantic emotionality and style and he used the technique of
applying undulating spontaneous lines and translucent and direct colors (pl. 1.22). In
his latest artworks, rather than various techniques of applying paint and cleverness in
creating texture, his partiality towards drawing lines and the graceful ease of applying
colors and the effort to present statements is noticeable. It can be said that through
sincere effort and arduous endeavor, Mansur ul Karim has displayed more maturity
than his contemporaries in his paintings.
Chandra Shekhar Dey was recognized as a promising artist at a very young age. He
utilized the relationship between the tightly knit composition of abstract forms and
sensitive colors with skill in his early paintings. However, later on, his paintings did
not limit itself to any particular manner or style. Sometimes he has worked with
simplified composition of the human form, sometimes highly ornamental patterns
became the fundamental subject of his picture plane (pl. 1.23), and sometimes he has