A masterful visual storyteller
Last month, Shumon Ahmed became the first Bangladeshi artist to win the prestigious Prudential Eye Awards 2016, in the photography category. Leaving behind Robert Zhao (Singapore) and Zhang Wei (China), Shumon brought home glory for his series “Metal Graves” and “When Dead Ships Travel”.
A Dhaka-based artist, Shumon Ahmed explores the fusion between video, photography, sound and text, creating stories are private yet collective. His work with the camera and film has also been likened to abstract paintings due to his experimental processing techniques that yield the melancholic, often-blurred images with multiple exposures.
His works has been previously exhibited in various galleries, festivals, summits and screenings worldwide, notably at the 2014 Kochi-Muziris Biennale, India; Dhaka Art Summit (2012, 2014 and 2016); Whitechapel Gallery in London (2010); Fotomuseum, Winterthur, Switzerland (2010) and a recent solo exhibition at Project88, Mumbai (2015). Two of his group shows are currently on at Chicago University, USA and Art Science Museum, Singapore. In an exclusive interview with The Daily Star he shared his passionate artistic journey. Excerpts:
“Back in 2008 I went to Chittagong Ship Breaking Yard with a Swedish friend who is an art photographer. It was difficult for us to access the area, as it is encircled with a fence and the authority doesn't allow anyone carrying a camera. Later, we luckily met a young labourer of the yard, and he let us enter into the place through a conical breakage of the barbed wire fence. We began our adventurous journey through the unusual landscape at 3am one night. The very first impression I experienced when I got there was amazing. As the early sunlight fell on us, I tried to render my feelings into visual language.”
“The stagnant ships appeared to me as the gigantic metal graves. They were being transformed into other forms, depleting their original forms. A mysterious feeling surged my heart. Though I depicted my images based on objects, those are ambiguous. The images are blurred and relay a feel of abstract paintings. I think the mystery that swallowed me up has a lasting influence on making my works. I studied various forms and subjects including human beings in my images; but I never thought of documenting things around or intended to transmit any instructions attached to those. Yet, many art connoisseurs thought that way. I set the images free and it was the audience and connoisseur who explained in their own ways.”
“I was surprised to learn that I was nominated for The Prudential Eye Awards. I didn't even submit my work till the last date as I was apprehensive. Later, an organiser from London phoned me to submit my work. It was quite a moment when I found myself as one of the three shortlisted ones, and was overwhelmed to receive the award eventually.”
“I love to work and just follow my artistic passion and feelings. People appreciate my works. I think this is my award. If someone runs after awards, they create a trap for themselves. I have seen many awardees fall into that trap as they got out of their creative track. An award-winner tends to produce repetitive works and thus, the artist loses their original talents. I didn't want to be that kind of artist.”
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