Saturday, July 18, 2009

Shishir Bhattcharjee:
Caricaturing society

Ershad Kamol

•   Part 1
•   Part 2

Noted artist Shishir Bhattacharjee has achieved nationwide popularity as a cartoonist. His cartoons published in the Bangla daily the Prothom Alo satire the contemporary society, especially the political canvass.

Shishir loves his dual identities as an artist and cartoonist, considering both of the mediums as his own creations. The idea of drawing caricatures came into the mind of the seasoned artist during the protest against the rule of the then military dictator in 1990s.

Shishir became so fascinated with caricature that he has taken it as part of his routine work. But sometimes he finds the job boring and disturbing because of some unwanted interventions. Shishir, however, wants to continue cartoons.

Shishir Bhattacharjee also Told the Star Online that after a break for a while he is now doing his paintings and drawings along with caricatures.

He has always deliberately maintained a difference in styles between his caricatures and paintings and drawings. As a painter, Shishir wants to work on a big canvas dealing with many figures.

Associate Professor of the Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University, Shishir Bhattacharjee also has his own observations on the current trends of art in Bangladesh and the young artists as well.