The 47th death anniversary of Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin is on Sunday.
Zainul Abedin was a highly acclaimed artist in Bangladesh and his works were widely recognized in the international arena.
Born in Mymensingh in 1914, Zainul Abedin grew up in the serene landscape by the river Brahmaputra which acted as a source of inspiration to the artist.
In 1933, the artist enrolled at Calcutta Government Art School. Later, he joined the faculty of the same institute after his graduation.
"Famine Sketches", a series of paintings Abedin made in 1943, addressed the dearth of food created by the British Raj. Bengal was affected the most by the famine. That series earned Abedin international acclaim.
In 1975, Zainul Abedin set up a folk museum at Sonargaon, and a permanent gallery in Mymensingh (Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Sangrahashala) to display some of his works. He became actively involved in a movement to preserve the cultural heritage of Bengal. Abedin died in 1976 in Dhaka.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin issued a message paying tributes to late Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin on the eve of the great artist's death anniversary.
In a message, the head of the state said the natural beauty of rural Bengal, the simple life of the common people, and the misery and struggle of the people was the main theme of Abedin's paintings.
He said that Zainul Abedin won a gold medal for his watercolour painting at the All India Painting Exhibition in 1938.
His work has reflected the labour and struggle of men and women against all adversities as well as the manifestation of their power, he added.
“Although he studied painting in the European style, he was not attracted to Eastern or Western painting and instead of being too ritualistic, he was attracted to reality,” Shahabuddin said.
His imagination has given the nation a lot of successful paintings such as the drawing of the famine of 1943, 'Nabanna' in the context of the mass uprising of 1969, and 'Monpura' for the death of millions of coastal people in the catastrophic cyclone in 1970, he said.
The fabulous and mind-blowing works of the artist have gained immense praise and recognition in the international arena, he continued.
Abedin was awarded the title of Shilpacharya for his extraordinary artistic mindset and imagination, he added.
Dhaka Art College (now Institute of Fine Arts) was established in 1948 at the initiative of Shilpacharya Zainul, he said, adding that Abedin was its founding principal.
Lok Shilpa Jadughar (Folk Art and Craft Museum) was established in Sonargaon in 1975 under the patronage of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the dedicated efforts of Shilpacharya Zainul, he said.
In Mymensingh, he established 'Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Sangrahashala', the President said, adding that Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin's artwork will continue to inspire the next generation for doing creative work in the days to come.
President Shahabuddin prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul of this world-renowned artist who died on May 28 in 1976 in Dhaka.
The President hoped that the nation will forever remember his impeccable contribution to the art industry.
