The 102nd birth anniversary of Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin (1914-1976), the man who gave art an institutional shape in this country, was celebrated through a three-day programme at the Fine Arts Faculty of Dhaka University. During the three-day celebration which began on December 29, the FFA wore a festive air.
Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor inaugurated the three-day festival as chief guest and Jahanara Abedin, widow of Shilpacharya, attended the event as special guest. Professor Nisar Hossain, Dean of FFA (Faculty of Fine Arts) University of Dhaka delivered the welcome speech while Dhaka University Vice Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique presided over the inauguration ceremony.
The guests unveiled a book Shotoborsher Alokey Zainul O Prashongik Shilpabhabna. Jahanara Abedin unveiled a bust of Shilpacharya, sculpted by prominent Indian sculptor Tarak Garai.
Apart from the Zainul Mela, which is very popular among DU students, the inaugural day also saw conferring of Zainul Sammanona to Hashem Khan (Bangladesh) and Jogen Chowdhury (India). There was also an exhibition wherein artworks were displayed by teachers and students from all the departments of FFA. Apart from themes of nature and Bengal’s seasonal cycle, Bengali folk traditions, and common people and their joys, frustrations, desires and dreams come as recurrent motifs in the artworks. Some paintings were done with pure architectural lines and shapes while blended realistic modes of expression with abstract ones. There were quite a few abstract and surreal works as well.
Takir Hossain is a senior cultural correspondent.