Rezaul Hoque’s unique approach to art with ‘burning’ technique

Artists often push the boundaries of traditional techniques to convey their emotions, and in the process, they develop new forms or explore unconventional methods to establish a distinct style for themselves. Quite similarly, over the years, artist Rezaul Hoque has developed a novel approach to creating artwork through what he calls a "burning process". 

Around 30 years ago, Reza began his journey, accidentally in his hostel room in Shahnewaz Hall at the University of Dhaka. "Like many other students, I had a heater to cook my own food. One fine noon, just after I had finished cooking, one of my drawings on paper fell on the still-hot heater. I picked it up quickly but by then a part of the drawing had burnt off," he recalled. 

"I was, of course, very upset. That night, when I was sadly looking at the remainder of the partially burnt drawing, I noticed that due to the heat, there was a change in texture. Being a science student, I could immediately link it to the heat convection theory. So I quickly did a small drawing and burned in a controlled manner over the heater, the result was very exciting, to say the least."

The artist basically stumbled upon an innovative method of painting using heat convection which creates a soft illusion by adding an atypical dimension to present a different genre to any art. Reza then attempted to use the same method to create paintings and has been using his distinctive method to experiment with a wide range of colours. 

Upon presenting the completed series to his professors at the Faculty of Fine Arts, nearly all of them expressed amazement. "Everyone was so curious, that they asked me to teach them. Later that year, some of these pieces were on display at the National Art Exhibition and Asian Art Biennale. That was my very first time participating in these big exhibitions," he reflected.

Most of his artworks are about people and their life struggles in the form of exploitation-deprivation, rights, inequality, hope-despair, and other deep-rooted perceptions. "People burnt by life struggles are displayed in my work where I try to bring forward their feelings of being burnt by this 'technique of burning'. This is a lifelong experiment for me," he added. For him, human suffering inflames his creativity. He uses heat convection as a metaphor for hope and a bright future in his artworks. 

The concept of convection, involving the movement of warm air rising, symbolises the idea of progress, growth, and positive change. Moreover, the heat's transformative power of movement portrays the idea of hope and aspiration. 

Last year, he was conferred the "Faces Of Peace International Art Prize"  By Contemporary Art Curator Magazine. The award distinguishes artists who have significantly contributed to peace and human development and incited changes through their talent and creativity to restore balance to the relationship between humanity and the natural environment. 

He also received the "Harmony for Humanity: The Global Consciousness Art Prize" in 2023, acknowledged by the Spain-based Contemporary Art Collectors. "There is a certain thrill while walking on an untrodden path, I enjoy the thrill and embrace the challenges that come with it. I am very grateful to these organisations who have found me through my work, and have appreciated it," he mentioned.

Apart from that, he has participated in several international exhibitions, the most recent being the 2022 Collective Art Exhibition titled "Love in Multiple Forms" organised by the New York-based Agora Gallery. The exhibition brought into the spotlight the works of 12 artists from different parts of the world, with Reza being the only one from South Asia. 

"They showcased four of my artworks and they were very well-received by international viewers and art lovers. This just shows that art transcends borders and nationalities," he concluded. His works have also been featured in many international magazines, and the exposure has encouraged him to improve this style. 

Presently, 40 of his artworks are on display in a solo exhibition, "Living on the Edge'' underway at La Galerie of Alliance Française de Dhaka. The exhibition will end on October 31. 

This is Reza's first solo display of "burning technique" artworks in Bangladesh, and he looks forward to the conversations with visitors.