Page 69 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

66 ART AND CRAFTS

Mominul Reza’s aspiration is pure beauty; his perception is romantic and poetic.
Through the composition of form, color and space he wishes to create his world;
though he does not intend to completely eliminate reality from the picture plane.
Thus, he selects a few simple forms from the everyday objects and creates a series
by painting through the representation of these objects, such as– hanger, clip,
ladder, swing, still life. On a cosmos like background, these create a different
implication. From time to time Reza practices complete abstraction by combining
clusters of colors. The romantic emotion is apparent in his character in the liveliness
of colors everywhere.
Among the artists of the eighties, the most agitated form of protest is probably noticed
in the paintings of Nisar Hossain. It seems as if Nisar intends to express the cruel form
of a monstrous and destructive age on his canvas. It is as if Nisar arms himself and
attacks the intolerant fundamentalism that is now about to consume all that we have
gained. As a result, his paintings arouse an utterly hideous form. He divides the canvas
in dazzlingly bright areas, and on this the horrifying frantic look of the gaping mouthed
fig. 1.39 Atia Islam frenzied monster is arranged, it seems as though all the humane feelings of the physical
Anne, Women and existence are devoid there. His unique philosophical world is manifested in the
Society, oil on canvas, avoidance of expensive materials in the use of colors and surface and in the use of
2000 inexpensive ordinary materials. Thus, Nisar Hossain has become a portrayer of protest
of our contemporary times (pl. 1.38).
Nazlee Laila Mansur’s leitmotif is also woman. However,
instead of representing the form of injustice towards woman
through a few familiar symbols of protest, which the woman
artists generally do, she has selected a manner of expression
completely distinct from this. She finds elements of contradiction
and mockery in the various ordinary and everyday incidents and
scenes of conjugal life. However, it is not as though political and
social circumstances do not affect her, although such concerns
come into Nazlee’s paintings through hints and through
suggestions of ambiguous meaningfulness. Although her style is
representational, she brings a multi-angular dimension to her
paintings by changing the realistic perspective and by freedom in
the selection of colors. Nazlee has kept on displaying a
distinctive perception by representing the various day-to-day
elements of urban life from a different perspective (pl. 1.39).
Another important artist of the eighties is Dilara Begum Jolly.
Jolly also started as a printmaker; however, she gradually became
engaged in composing paintings in various media, later leaning
towards sculpture, installation and mixed types of artworks.
Thus, Jolly’s work combines various dimensions and media.
Nevertheless, the different emotions of the psyche of woman
have been the leitmotif of her works. Jolly creates her canvas in
the likeness of an imaginary extended fantasy world, where