‘Shotoborshe Sultan’: Witness Nasir Ali Mamun’s homage to Bengal’s greatest

Bengal Shilpalay inaugurated "Shotoborshe Sultan" yesterday, a solo photography exhibition by Nasir Ali Mamun, held as a tribute to legendary Bangladeshi artist SM Sultan on his birth centenary.

The ceremony, hosted by the director general of Bengal Foundation, Luva Nahid Chowdhury, was attended by HSBC CEO Mahbubur Rahman; eminent Bangladeshi-Spanish artist Monirul Islam, as a special guest; Prothom Alo's Editor Matiur Rahman; and Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Ahsan H Mansur, as the chief guest.

Two books on the artist, SM Sultan, were also launched to give us the chance to dive into Sultan's life. In his speech, Monirul Islam mentioned how chaotic SM Sultan's art style was, and yet everything he put on his canvases came together in harmony. The guests all spoke in celebration of SM Sultan's 100th birthday and praised Mamun for his brilliant work.

Born in 1953, Nasir Ali Mamun is an Ekushey Padak-winning photographer. He had also bagged the Shilpakala Padak and a fellowship from the Bangla Academy thanks to his photography skills. Moreover, he received lifetime achievement awards from Drik, Standard Chartered Bank, and The Daily Star. 

Since 1978, he has been the personal photographer of Bangladeshi Nobel laureate and Chief Adviser Dr Mohammad Yunus. In the mid-to-late '70s, he was spellbound by Sultan's artwork when seeing them for the first time. The universe granted his wish, and he was able to photograph his "man of soil, from the forest."

Sheikh Mohammad Sultan is one of the most celebrated artists of Bangladesh, who established his own unique art style that did not align with a typical realistic portrayal of human figures. He glorified the strength of our rural people, men and women alike, and painted them with a muscular appearance. He explained to Mamun that the farmers are the backbone of our country, and even though people can't see their strength, he can, as they carry this country on their shoulders despite being exploited by the upper classes.

The photos taken by Mamun capture the old Renaissance residence of SM Sultan in Narail, the women in his family, the surrounding greenery, and the rural population who were close to his heart. There were also images of Sultan playing musical instruments, his signature flute, and painting his masterpieces. But the most beautiful were the photos of him with his beloved cats and the parrot. Sultan once told Mamun that a person cannot love anyone deeply unless they love animals.

Mamun shot the photographs with no artificial light and a slow shutter speed. The images are mostly black and white. The single photos are taken in a manner where the background often disappears into nothingness, and only Sultan's existence with his long curly hair comes as a ray of light. 

Photographer Soaib Ahmed, also a young spectator in attendance, mentioned that Mamun's photography techniques were far ahead of their time, achieved with only a limited number of modern tools—something our generation can hardly fathom.

"Shotoborshe Sultan" not only showcases veteran photographer Nasir Ali Mamun's mastery in using lenses, but it is also a window to the past where one of the legendary figures of our art and culture exists in all his glory. Bengal Shilpalay will run this exhibition until September 27, 2025.

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