Articulating nature with paint

After a hiatus, renowned artist Rafiqun Nabi is holding a solo painting exhibition. The exhibition will open at Dhaka Art Centre in Dhanmondi on April 12, and will continue till April 22. His last solo art show was held at Gallery Chitrak in 2010. The USP of Nabi's paintings is an in-depth observation of the rural life -- simple villagers, domestic animals, tranquil atmosphere and childhood nostalgia.
Noted artist Qayyum Chowdhury is set to inaugurate the exhibition as chief guest. Senior artist Professor Samarjit Roy Chowdhury and art connoisseur Syed Durjoy Rahman Joy will be present as special guests. Professor Emeritus Dr. Anisuzzaman will preside over the opening ceremony.
About 28 artworks will be displayed at the exhibition. The painter has used acrylic and watercolour. This is one of the major exhibitions of his career, as Nabi has worked on large canvas.
“This (exhibition) is a challenge for me. Art aficionados are used to see my standard sized paintings,” said Nabi.

Artworks by Rafiqun Nabi.

“I have been working on a number of certain themes. I had an opportunity to observe rural people and their way of life, and I found it incredibly interesting. I have always been fascinated by this simple, uncomplicated life. I think villagers appreciate and enjoy the gifts of nature -- greenery, rivers, hills, light and shade, flora and fauna -- more than us. I have tried to highlight these in my paintings. This is almost a method of documentation for me,” said Nabi.
Nabi is an artist who adheres to experimental realism. Mingling romanticism and impressionism, he does figurative work -- painting fishermen, day labourers, crows, kingfishers, goats, cows, buffaloes, boats, wild flowers and people at leisure chatting.
Nabi is well known for his paintings, woodcut prints and drawings. Colours usually used by the artist are azure, yellow, ochre, red, black and emerald green -- representing rural Bengal. Some of his paintings zoom in on herds of cows and buffalos -- a common rural scene. Curved lines and lucid compositions are significant aspects some of his paintings. Interrelationship among man, animal and nature is another noticeable subject in his paintings.
Being trained by master artists like Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin, Safiuddin Ahmed and Mohammed Kibria, Nabi believes that good drawing is the basic need for fine artwork. His overseas studies at Athens added to this belief.

Artworks by Rafiqun Nabi.

At the exhibition, Nabi's watercolour highlights the monsoon, splendour of mountain scenery and the scenic beauty of our country. Translucence and simplicity are the main traits of his watercolours. His ability to draw mass, volume and to create sensitive compositions are remarkable. His works are fresh and provide the spectators a sense of pleasure. His paintings are lively and have the right kind of restraint. He knows where to stop. His figures and objects are closely attached and create a unique synchronisation. The artist arranges motifs in different combinations of light and shade. 
Nabi likes to go into details. Since the late 1960s, Nabi's social commitment has become more and more apparent. His creativity is intensely moved by national, social and political crises. This is also fairly reflected in his creations.