Shafiqul Islam’s birth anniversary today
Professor Mohammad Shafiqul Islam remains a pioneering figure in the field of fine art both home and abroad. With his mystical strokes, and life-like expressions, the maestro remains as one of the trendsetters in redefining the history of Asian art. Today marks the 76th birth anniversary of the artist.
Shafiqul Islam was born on November 11, 1944 Alhaj Imdadur Rahman and Nurjahan Begum, in Chattogram. He went on to pursue his Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) pre-degree from the college of Arts and Craft at the University of Dhaka in 1967, and later his Master of Fine Arts (MA) degree from the University of Chattogram (CU) in 1974.
After completing his academics, the artist served at CU for 33 years, starting as a lecturer, earning his place rightfully as the chairperson of Fine Arts and Craft and finally retiring as the provost for AF Rahman Hall.
His creations, like the Shaheed Minar in CU, jointly by him and Syed Abdullah Khalid, still reminds us of his exquisitely creative conceptions. His debut exhibition, held in 1972, was not just his first solo but the first solo exhibition of this country after the Liberation War.
In his long and prosperous career as an artist, Shafiqul Islam has participated in 19 exhibitions, with 4 foreign ones. His book, "Praccya Ritir Shilpa" (1989) was appreciated by readers and critics alike.
Shafiqul Islam breathed his last in 2018, at the age of 74. "My father has led a very simple life, dedicating most of his time to his work," shares his son Faizus Masum. "I still remember how he would just take a piece of paper from anywhere and get lost in his art. It's his simplicity that I miss the most."
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