Page 60 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

PAINTING 57

imposed realistic faces within a geometric composition. At one stage, he has worked
in a manner resembling rickshaw painting in which his originality is evident. Chandra
Shekhar’s skill in using and controlling the medium is apparent everywhere, however,
the inconsistency in style does not make him identifiable by any characteristic trait to
the very present.
Hashi Chakraborty also made a mark by displaying his possibilities at a young age. In
the first stage, he progressed towards work in the Surrealist style. His key focus is the
sweetness of colors and the interplay of light and shade in nature; thus, Hashi returns
to his fascination for nature–the soft composition of nature, to recreate the lyrical
melody which is created with the interplay of light and shade. His paintings gradually
became free of the influence of human presence and developed into the
representations of trees, leaves, sky, stars, moon, the sparkling of sunlight and many
other unblemished symbols of nature. He integrated the picture plane by using delicate
forms bound by curved lines, translucent colors and the radiance of bright light. His
graceful composition of colors and the shimmering light and shade portrays a lyrical
and enchanting world (pl. 1.35).
Kazi Ghiyasuddin attracted attention through his skillfulness in creating realistic
paintings in watercolor right from the beginning of the seventies. He did some
experimental work during this time in which the inspiration of motifs from folk art and
ornamentation is noticeable. In the mid seventies, he went to Japan for advanced
training and from then on he has permanently resided there. Kazi Ghiyas is one of the
leading expatriate artists who have earned acclaim through their high skills and
creativity. Along with painting in oils, he has continued his practice in watercolor and
is eminent in the field of painting of Japan as one of the leading artists in the watercolor
medium. In both watercolor and oil painting, he builds up the pictorial surface with a
density of textural quality. In the watercolor paintings, the pictorial plane is first
divided into geometric composition. Rectangular, circular, semi-circular or other types
of shapes like pieces of paper of various colors and texture are combined to compose
the surface plane; on this there is an arrangement of small scribbles, criss-crossings,
scratches, lines etc. The use of space in these paintings of Kazi Ghiyas is noteworthy,
the unbounded surface giving the impression of a huge expanse of space. In the use of
colors, he possesses delicate and sensitive skills. Forms and geometry diminished from
his watercolors of later stages; the transparent and spontaneous delicate coats of
watercolor create the surface and the small scribbles create the suggestion of thoughts.
His latest paintings in this medium have moved towards more simplification and
facility; the parts of white paper are visible through gaps in the layer of colors like
bright light. The small motifs and forms that are seen in Kazi Ghiyas’ paintings are like
the half developed thoughts and suggestions of a child’s mind. The artist has created a
dense pictorial surface with textures, scratches and interweaving lines in the oil
painting medium as well and in recent times his attention is more focused in creating
textured abstract pictorial surfaces in oil painting (pl. 1.24).