Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy has arranged a year-long programme to celebrate birth centenary of internationally renowned painter of the country Zainul Abedin (1914-1976).
The year-long celebration commenced with an art competition titled Moner Moto Chhobi, participated by around five hundred children on Friday at the national art gallery plaza of BSA.The children were categorised into three groups according to their academic classes. Ka group comprised of students from class I to III, Kha group comprised of students from class IV to VI and Ga group consisted of students from class VII to X.
The young ones were to paint anything they liked in the competition doing justice to its title. The children painted diverse themes in diverse colours. While many of the kids painted rural scenic beauty of the country, natural elements like rivers, butterflies, birds, flowers; the relatively grown-ups painted imaginary scenes of the war of independence and portraits of the Shilpacharya.
It was a good thing that most of the kids knew who Zainul Abedin was. ‘Zainul Abedin was the greatest painter of the country. I have read about him in my textbook,’ said a delighted Takwa Jahin Fiza, a class five student of St Francis Xavier’s Girls’ School.
Another class five student Sonia Sharmin Maliha from Rajarbagh Police Line School had also read about Zainul Abedin. Maliha was painting a scene of the war of liberation where she has imagined the armed freedom fighters fighting the Pakistani army.
‘I am very happy to take part in the competition,’ said Maliha, whose happiness was an echo of all the attendees’ happiness.
Besides the children, a number of senior artists and students of fine arts also painted on large canvasses. The senior artists recreated the famous elements of Zainul Abedin’s paintings on the canvasses.
Elements like rural Bangladesh, Santals, Famine sketches were present in the canvasses. Artist Tahmina Hafiz Lisa painted a crow where the artist carefully incorporated elements from Zainul’s famous
Famine Sketches.
Another artist Aloptogin Tusher has painted a torch bearer’s figure which resembles Zainul’s. ‘Zainul was a torch bearer of arts in the country. His styles are still powerfully present in young artists’ works’, opined Aloptogin Tusher.
The year-long celebrations programme will include placing wreaths of garland on Shilpacharya’s tomb and a colourful rally on Sunday as the birthday celebration.
Other activities lined up for the celebrations programme includes art competitions and exhibitions across the country, publication of a memorial book on Shilpacharya, seminars on the works and life of Shilpacharya, launching of memorial postcards, organising traditional fairs, installment of sculpture of Shilpacharya at the academy and other activities.
The year-long celebration programme was inaugurated by Zahanara Abedin, widow of Zainul Abedin, in presence of Hasanul Haque Inu, minister of cultural affairs, Ranjit Kumar Biswas, secretary of cultural ministry affairs, Liaquat Ali Lucky, director general of BSA.
-With New Age input
