Arabinda Das Gupta exhibits in Sylhet

With the title “Grive not, live”, a solo exhibition of painter Arabinda Das Gupta is going on at Sylhet Kabi Nazrul Auditorium premises.

A total of 57 paintings, including 11 watercolours are being exhibited at the show. His previous exhibitions, in 1980 and 2002, were in watercolours; and now he is also placing his drawings at the exhibition.

Arabinda, a reticent painter and art teacher, prefers to stay away from the limelight. When approached by The Daily Star, he said, “This is too much, I do not want to be overexposed with my simple work. I believe in working alone”.

Arabinda was born in Habiganj in 1953 and brought up in Sylhet. He completed his graduation from the Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University (then Bangladesh Institute of Arts and Crafts) in 1976. After a couple of years in Dhaka, he left for Sylhet and started his career as an art teacher.

Teaching children and painting in his studio, is the life he has chosen. “Being graced by the legendary painter Zainul Abedin, Qamrul Hasan and SM Sultan, I learned how to lead a life with the paintings. Some of my works are the shadow of these legends' works,” said Arabinda.

He added, “My paintings at the exhibition are on the subject of idylls of villages, seasonal diversity, romance, natural calamities, Liberation War etc.”

The exhibition is jointly organised by Sylhet Art and Autistic School and Sylhet District Administration.