Profile
Shamsudohha’s powerful visions
Bengal’s scenic beauty, bucolic panoramic view, riverine life, metropolis, daily life in Old Dhaka, ravages of flood, working class people and more have long been remarkably depicted by the avant-garde painter Ahmed Shamsudohha. The artist portrays the moving sights around him.
A socially conscious artist, Shamsudohha paints people, capturing the diverse moments of their social bindings. He portrays both rural and urban people — their sufferings and ecstasies.
Shamsuddoha set out as a landscape painter but eventually moved to surrealism in the beginning of the ’90s. He has been greatly influenced by eminent surrealist painters Salvador Dali and Boris Vallejo. He frequently uses local motifs or elements in his paintings but his style and approach are very close to surrealism. There are a few common motifs that frequently feature on Shamsuddoha’s canvas. He often uses the forms of Kathgolap (a local flower), wooden easel, dry twigs, broken clay pot, branches, tiny plant, crystal balls etc. Figures are missing in most of his paintings. Varied abstract images also come to his works. His paintings are fresh and provide the spectators a sense of pleasure. His drawings and paintings are lively and demonstrate the right kind of restraint.
While the artist prefers oil colours for his canvas, he also works with acrylic, water colour, pastel and charcoal mediums.
About his recent paintings, Shamsuddoha says, “We are passing through an unpredictable time. My paintings reflect on our social and political situations, which are confusing me greatly. I don’t like to focus on sorrow or ongoing social turmoil; rather I want to generate hope and happiness. As an artist I’m very optimistic and confident.”
The introverted painter is fond of classical music, like Mozart, Beethoven, when he is engrossed in painting. “I get inspiration from music when deciding on colours and forms. In my paintings, variation in colours, forms and space depend on notations of music and tone. Music simply helps me to do this,” said Shamsuddoha.
When Shamsuddoha was a 2nd year student at the Institute of Fine Arts (now Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka), he copied the paintings of old masters like John Constable, William Turner and Van Gogh. He was engrossed with their works, particularly their tones, textures, and use of light and shade. Afterwards, Shamsudohha brought romanticism and pure scenic beauty in his works. His colours are often muted, which can translate the significance of the themes. He mainly painted rural, riverine beauty and greenery of our rural areas.
Shamsuddoha is one of the notable painters of the early ’80s who also likes to make portraits of renowned men and women representing different eras. The artist feels that portraits are considered to be one of the oldest forms of art.
Shamsuddoha won several awards — Grameenphone Award at the 17th National Art Biennale, Bengal Foundation Award at the 16th National Art Biennale (2005), SM Sultan Padak and more.
Courtesy of The Daily Star
