Murtaja Baseer to receive Hamidur Rahman Puroshkar
Hamidur Rahman is a renowned artist of the 1950s and 60s. He was the chief architect of Central Shaheed Minar and a key personality in the modern art movement of Bangladesh. The artist's family instituted Hamidur Rahman Puroshkar in 2007. Bengal Foundation organises the award giving ceremony.
Eminent artist Murtaja Baseer has been selected to receive Hamidur Rahman Puroshkar for the year 2015. In the past eminent artists -- Monirul Islam, Syed Jahangir and Rafiqun Nabi -- received the awards in 2007, 2011 and 2013 respectively.
An award giving ceremony will be held on August 27 at 5pm at Chhayanaut auditorium in Dhanmondi. Eminent artist Rafiqun Nabi, Mahmudul Haque and Parveen Ahmad will be present as guests. The event will also feature a documentary screening titled “Murtaja Baseer : Shilpa Anweshar 55 Bochhor”, produced by Bengal Foundation. Syed Tanvir Ahmed and Paul James Gomes jointly directed the documentary.
Murtaja Baseer is one of the pioneers of the modern art movement in Bangladesh. His careful portraiture, with detailed lines and balanced colours expresses his contemplations on society. His depiction of Bangladeshi women, in particular, reflects their individuality and strong personality. These works are done in the form of collage, drawing and pastel.
Being a socially aware individual, Baseer was active in student politics, fired by the fervour of the Freedom Movement. He depicts women from all levels of society from villages as well as urban areas.
Born in 1932, Baseer was the top student at Government Institute of Arts in 1954. He took lessons in the Asutosh Museum, Calcutta (now Kolkata), around 1954. While in Italy, he was influenced by Botticelli, Modigliani, and Picasso.
Many are perhaps unfamiliar with Baseer's other identities as a poet, short story writer, novelist, researcher, numismatist and filmmaker. In 1954, he wrote “Ultramarine”, a novel based on contemporary life in Kolkata and the prevailing social issues of the time. He published a collection of short stories called “Kanch-er Pakhir Gaan” in 1969. He wrote two more novels -- “Mitar Shangey Char Shandha” and “Amitakkhar”. He has a collection of selected works, “Murtaja Baseer: Murto O Bimurto”.
Baseer has also worked as a screenplay writer, art director and chief assistant director for the Bangla film “Nadi O Nari” in 1964 and art director for the Urdu film “Kaise Kahoon” in 1965.
In 1987, Baseer received a fellowship from British Council to carry out research on folk and traditional art of Bangladesh. He was awarded the Ekushey Padak In 1980.
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