Reviving the past through pen-and-ink

Sajid's remarkable pen-and- ink exhibition “Entity” is on at Gallery Zoom and Café Veranda of Alliance Francaise.

Sajid-Bin-Doza (Bonny),34, an architect by profession, combines his studies at BUET with his work. Sajid's remarkable pen-and- ink exhibition “Entity” is on at Gallery Zoom and Café Veranda of Alliance Francaise. The exhibition is likely to bring in crowds of art lovers, and some patrons too into the bargain. Preservation of our rich historical monuments is Sajid's aim.
Sajid not only brings out the beauty of the historical buildings of the Vedic, Mughal and colonial times, but he has researched in India and Bangladesh, as well as in Malaysia to bring out the wealth of our architectural heritage. Thus he draws his inspiration from drawings and manuscripts of the past plus photographs. Asked if he only sketches what he sees, Sajid says that at times he takes photographs ,and then works on them at leisure in his studio. In this way he combines the past with the present, reality with imagination, in his store of knowledge on architecture.
The exhibition, says Sajid, is not only to present his passion for sketching, something in which he has been excelling since his school days, but to acquaint viewers, both young and old, with the wealth of our past in stone, cement and bricks. At times he adds nature and human figures to lend interest and a touch of reality. This includes the overwhelming flooding which today persists even outside the monsoon season. Sajid has added washes of watercolour in browns, reds and other pastel shades. On the whole the effect is a dramatic, dark colour.
“Our historical monuments are being ruined due to exposure to the unmitigated rain, flooding and heat. The buildings are being affected by the adverse climatic changes and torrential downpour. That is why my drawings have such a dark hue. This, again, should help bring in more tourism to our country, and so enrich our revenues,” Sajid adds with enthusiasm.
Sajid has visited many historical sites, especially in Natore where he was initially educated, and in Rajshahi and Dhaka, where he currently resides. For his inspiration he has his mother, who is also artistically inclined and his wife, who too is a practicing architect. His other family members too are very supportive. His Masters thesis is based on the preservation of our historical sites and his solo exhibition is an extension of that project.
“Old Dhaka brings in monuments of historical interests like Lalbagh Fort, with the tomb of Pari Bibi depicted in the Mughul style, while Curzon Hall is a blending of the colonial with the Mughal period. The Rose Garden has the high renaissance of the colonial times. Hindu temples and palaces of Rajshahi and Dhaka, along with other places also reflect our rich past. All these should leave an indelible mark on the minds of the viewers, along with the footnote tags that I've added.
“What you see in the 42 pieces is a blending of historical, architectural and personal interest. It took three years for me to complete this work apart from my research for seven years. I've seen people conserving their past in other places like India, Malaysia and Myanmar, and we should be able to do likewise.” concludes Sajid.