The UK based Bangladeshi artist Abu Jafar is displaying a retrospective of his abstract paintings done in the past two decades at the National Art Gallery of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
The show titled ‘Ekush Bochhor Sheshey’ expresses various stories of daily life through the shades of colours, which is termed as abstract expressionism. Layers of colours and density of texture are noticeable features of his paintings.
An associate member of the Royal British Society of Sculptors, Jafar also displays installation, paintings and sculptures, done in the UK, in his second solo in Dhaka.
The artist frequently changes the background of his paintings but most of the time lines and structures have similar dispositions. He sets up abstractions characterised by aesthetic and philosophical issues.
He creates contrasts of the primary colours with diverse shapes and symbols. Bright, as well as subdued colours, and vague forms and compositions are also important aspects of his paintings.
‘Since 1991 I have been living and working in England. I took my inspiration from psychology, philosophy, classical music and my observation power. I’m now experimenting with oil, acrylic and watercolour’ Jafar told New Age.
Most of his large scale installations feature the relation between people and nature. His installations glorify the diversity of life in simple manner that reflects imaginative power and ever changing creative forces of new formative arts.
‘Light, powder colour, cloth, water, smoke, snow and sound have been used in my audio-visual installations,’ Jafar added.
‘The use of diverse media in the simplest form made his works interesting. The artworks are so energetic that can attract anybody’, Nodi, a student of fine arts, told New Age.
Another viewer Anis Choudhury, a writer, said, ‘Jafar’s ability to present real life stories in simple form is surprising.’
The exhibition will end today.
-With New Age input
