'Struggle' : Zainul Abedin's unseen art pieces

The last year marked the 108th birth anniversary of painter and pioneering art educator Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin. He was born on 29 December 1914. On the occasion of maestro Abedin's birth anniversary, Gallery, Dhanmondi, organised an exhibition with distinguished art pieces of Abedin named 'Struggle.' 

The exhibition was inaugurated by eminent artist and master painter Rafiqun Nabi on 13 December 2022 at Gallery Chitrak. Special guest of the event was Summit Group Chairman Muhammed Aziz Khan, and the ceremony was presided over by former Cultural Affairs Minister and Awami League lawmaker Asaduzzaman Noor.

The inaugural ceremony also had the presence of advisory committee members of the exhibition; Zainul Abedin's son Engineer Mainul Abedin, DU Faculty of Fine Art Dean Nisar Hossain and DU Department of Bangla Chairman Syed Azizul Huq. 

Alongside Gallery Chitrak Executive Director Md Muniruzzaman, other renowned members around the country and art enthusiasts took part. 

 The exhibition had around 125 artworks of Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin. They focused on Abedin's sketches, ink, charcoal art, oil on canvas, and his different study works. 

The title 'struggle' captured paintings of famine, the Palestine war, the super cyclone of 1970, the Bangladesh war of 1971, the oppressed people of Bangladesh, new hopes and the fighting back attitude of the sufferers. 

Famine: Black ink on paper 

Zainul Abedin's striking sketches on the famine of 1943 were noteworthy. Often people remember the famine by those sketches he drew then. The street crow, humans eating roadside, mother-children, people eating from dustbins etc., were exhibited.  

Santal Couple: Watercolor on Paper 

The warfare of the Santal communities also touched Zainul Abedin, and he portrayed their struggles through his brushes. There were many paintings of the santal couple working, the santal community fighting and distressed santal lives fighting back. 

Monpura 70: Watercolor and wax on paper 

The super cyclone of 1970 also crossed his mind. He drew the sufferings and hopes of people of the coastal regions naming it Monpura 70. 

Palestine War: Pen and Ink on Paper 

Zainul Abedin had the opportunity to visit Palestinian camps in Syria and Jordan in 1970, and his brush didn't stop making paintings of the refugees there. The people hiding, the Palestine soldiers with arms and ammunition fighting in the war were his components of the painting. 

Struggle: Oil on Canvas 

Zainul used his brush as a weapon against odd circumstances. Through his paintings, he gave voice to the voiceless. He wanted to bring front the sufferings of the oppressed people and the power of Bengalis. 

Martyrs: Pen and Ink on paper 

The liberation war of 1971 was also depicted in the artworks of Shilpacharya. He participated in the Language movement of 1952 and the war in 1971. His paintings are first-hand documents of the war. The Pakistani army wearing heavy boots and advanced arms in hand, killing innocent Bengalis and Bengalis fighting them back with their handy local weapons are all seen in the paintings of Abedin. 

The exhibition had Abedin's paintings and his used materials. There was his ink, paper, charcoal, paint brushes, his own written diary, and others. 

There was an audio-visual documentary playing a few interviews of art critics on the arts of the Shilpacharya. They spoke about Zainul Abedin's style, praising his sense and feelings for the oppressed and trying to be by their side through art strokes. The video also brought Abedin's won struggle through life. 

Sizan Ahmed Jim, an art admirer, went to visit the exhibition. He shared, "We have always seen Zainul Abedin's famous crow, towing boat, rebel cow and famine artworks. This time we get to see the Palestine war and the Bhola cyclone of 1970."

Another group of art enthusiasts were seen discussing over arts, clicking pictures and enjoying the audio-visual documentary. One of them, Anila Ahmed, said, "This is the third time I am visiting. Because these paintings never get old. You can always learn something new when you look deep into it." 

Two exclusive publications were launched at the opening ceremony. These were a book featuring all the artworks displayed in the exhibition and an album featuring 80 artworks of Shilpacharya.

Assistant Professor, Department of Fine Art at Dhaka University, Sumon Wahed, curated the exhibition. He said, "This time, displaying artworks are from the personal collections of the Zainul family, with around 80 artworks being displayed for the first time. It is exciting that many people around the world visited the exhibition. There was a presence of art students, art admirers, and general audiences." 

The exhibition ends today. 

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