Mustaque’s contemplative journey

Artworks by Mustaque Ahmed

Mustaque Ahmed is a self-taught painter who has been quite active in the Dhaka art circuit. He regularly paints and has been trying to convey his personal language through art. His paintings have a true touch of aestheticism, tinged with simplicity. The artistic works clearly articulate his passionate mind. He works on varied subjects but his special attention is on nature and human relationships. He fervently draws the psychological temperament of human beings, their expressions and relationships. Mustaque's solo painting exhibition, titled "Shudurer Mita”, is now on at Gallery Chitrak, Dhanmondi.
Mustaque loves nature and its imaginative world propels him to paint. The mingling of light and shade creates a silence and serenity in his works. Nature is closely connected to his soul, as he adores basking in it. His colours can be easily interpreted by our soul and mind. Subdued and vivid -- both kinds of hues -- are properly executed on his canvas. It can be easily understood that he has made an attempt to control his application of colours so that they look simultaneously very permissive and restrained. His works look more mature for his contemplation of the very root of his subjects.
In his current exhibition, Mustaque has done a number of faces, each with its individual look. The grounds feel uneven and the backdrops look impressive because of the affluent blending of colours. Some faces seem to be primitive, ancestral and unfamiliar. The faces are not identical and each face expresses a unique explanation of the human psyche and look. The face is the most significant part of the human body and it can mirror the mind vividly. In creating so many faces in different perspectives, he has again demonstrated his unrivalled creativity.
Mustaque's "Bench" is an acrylic piece, which denotes the silence and loneliness of life. An empty bench is the only element of the canvas and the complete setting emits pain and stillness.
"Moon" is another rich acrylic painting in the exhibition. Azure, emerald green and crimson are very noticeable and the colours mingle well with each other. In this painting, colours create a distinct language and give the viewer a touch of fantasy and optical illusion.
"Forest" is one of the evocative works that mingles emerald green, red and white. The work is mainly colour-oriented and focuses on the eternal beauty of nature. The artist meticulously arranges forms and colours in his works.
Mustaque paints "Morning", "Day" and "Night" -- three moments with only controlled colours. He scrupulously uses brush (wash) with his personal technique. The space feels open and large, clearly emphasising each moment and time.
In his "Sky" series, the painter demonstrates varied colours of the sky during different seasons and times. He applies the colours directly, and then meticulously polishes them suited to their artistic requirement. In the series, he has lost himself through a spiritual journey. Colours are present here as a musical note.
The exhibition ends on November 5.