Dr Abdus Satter: The visage of a brilliant artist
Born in Natore, Dr Abdus Satter graduated in Fine Art from Bangladesh College of Arts and Crafts, (now Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka) in 1971. With an ICCR Scholarship, Abdus Satter went to study Post-Graduate Research Course on Painting and Printmaking at Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan in 1973 and completed his postgraduate degree in 1975. As a fulbright scholar, Professor Satter received his second Master's in Fine Arts from the Pratt Institute in New York. He also obtained another Master's in Fine Art from the Institute of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka, in 1980.
Satter uses the symbols of happiness -- beautiful women, flowers and moonlit nights -- as his subjects. He also depicts the elements of suffering and pain into his canvases.
"Cubists, Surrealists, Dadaists and other such modern artists delineated objects of discomfort, agony and pain. Art, as we often saw in the early days, showcased peace, beauty, tranquility and harmony," says Dr Sattar. "Modern existence now has nothing to offer, except images of death and destruction."
Dr Satter added that art reflects the political and social life around the artist. "The things I saw in 1971 have inspired my work immensely," he shares. "During World War II, Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin made the famous black and white famine sketches, which stirred the world. Artists, however, blend the images in colours in such a way that the art shocks the onlooker, but the works remain art pieces."
Though Abdus Satter's forte is woodcut prints, his contributions in promoting oriental art in Bangladesh is immense. He was a professor at the Department of Oriental Art, Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka. He also participated in numerous grand exhibitions, including National and Young Artists Art Exhibition, Mobile Prints and Painting Exhibition in Bangladesh and exhibitions in India, Warsaw, Belgrade, Bulgaria, Bucharest, China and England.
The artist has held 18 solo exhibitions in Dhaka, Chittagong and New York. His selected works have been exhibited in Japan, Poland, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Egypt, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands. His achievements have earned him international awards at the Poland Art Museum International Prints Exhibition in 1997, the First International Triennial for Prints in Egypt in 1993, the International Biennale of Graphic Art in Yugoslavia in 1981, 1985 and 1989, the First Biennale in Pakistan in 1981 and the Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh in 1981. In his native country, he received an Honourable Mention Award in 1994 and 1992 at the Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh, the Best Award for Print in 1976 and 1981 and a Gold Medal in 1980.
Abdus Satter won the Departmental Best Prize three times from the Institute of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka. He also received Best Award for Print at the National Young Artists' Art Exhibition, organised by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Gold Medal (Best Award) for the 'Rainy Season in Watercolour' exhibition, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Gold Medal (Best Award) in the 1st Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh and several others. His artworks are in the collections of National Art Gallery, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Many of his pieces have also secured places as private collectibles, both at home and abroad.
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