Creative endeavours of three painters

Biplob Kumar Das, Ziaur Rahman and Kamrun Nahar are painters different in their mode of expression. One is engrossed in abstract expressionism and others occupied by a realistic mode where portraits and scenic splendour are  mostly focused on.
Biplob Kumar Das was one of the pioneer students of Narayanganj Charukala Institute. He was born and raised on the banks of the Shitalakkhya River. It is very natural that as a painter Das is greatly influenced by his surrounding ambiance. During that time, his mode of expression was purely realistic and the painter went into the details of his subjects. The quiet and serene location tremendously influenced him and he painted tranquil nature, the splendour of the river and the simple people who were really detached from the urban life. Through the paintings, Das attempted to create an atmosphere that defined the daily chores of riverine people. The use of shadowy and darker tones depicted the unchanging lives of the community.

Das enrolled in UODA (University of Development Alternative) in 2004 for  his Masters Degree. Here he was introduced to some great teachers who suggested that he transform his mode of expression. Das then started to divide form and composition. This was a time for the artist's experiments with abstract expressionism. Since then colour remains a predominant aspect of his paintings. The exhibition unfolds life's joy, ecstasy, peace, poetic aspect of nature, human life and different facets of materialistic life.
Ziaur Rahman's painting has a studious touch but he has a great tendency towards experimentation with figuration. A socially conscious artist, he paints people, capturing the diverse moments of their social bindings. There is a meditative look in his portraits. He paints ardently with the subjects of downtrodden people----bauls, mendicants, rickshaw pullers and their activities. His art largely features the disadvantaged and exploited community. Their hardship and sufferings are recurring subjects in his works. Ziaur's portrays both rural and urban people. At the ongoing exhibition, he has used charcoal, dry pastel, acrylic and watercolour on paper and canvas. Observing his works critically, one gets the feeling of similarities of tonalities -- soft and seemingly transparent. He tries to express his feelings through simple figurative compositions and colours.
Kamrun Nahar has a passion for meticulously portraying rural and semi-urban ambiance with vibrant shades. In her short career span, she has developed a style, particularly in the watercolour medium. The medium's lucidity gives her freedom to express her creativity. Her works are principally a means to visually imagine the natural world in which she finds herself.
Nahar's works plunge deep into panoramic view, ship repairing and building in dockyard, quiet street in rural areas, semi-urban setting, riverine beauty, greenery of our rural areas and more.
The group exhibition titled “The search for Purity” is now on at Dhaka Art Centre in Dhanmondi. The exhibition ends on April 30.