Man and Nature

The prints not only showcase Biren Shome's pursuit of his passion for man and nature, but also document his emotional development over the decades.

In the solo exhibition of prints and water colour in 1985, Biren Shome provided an insight into the endless nature where man was only an integral part. This was possible for his deep concern and preoccupation with nature enhanced by his official governmental job where he was required to record details of various vegetal forms. In his water colour exhibition of 2003, he was able to transcend mundane experience into a colourful perceptive world that directly touched the spirit of the audience. His ability to distill atmosphere and filter sun through quick strokes of water colour was evident in his landscape of Bangladesh, ruins of Panamnagar and streets of Old Dhaka. In the solo exhibition of 2005 he produced a number of abstract paintings in pure colour fractured by light, which virtually eliminated all recognizable vestiges of the observed world. He abandoned even the pretence of subject creating an abstract world of vibrating colour forms with pure musical sensations. In these paintings (acrylic) the colour composition varies from monochrome to contrasts creating dynamic interaction of colour harmonies. In the solo exhibition of 2009, he had approached his works with great humanitarian commitment by depicting the Language Movement and the Liberation War. This year in January, he exhibited large acrylic paintings full of colour power, absorbing craftsmanship and meticulous composition.
Biren Shome's solo art exhibition is now on at Dhaka Art Centre in Dhanmondi.
The present exhibition is rather a collection of small size prints using various technical methods created over a period of not less than five decades. These assorted prints, mostly black and white, not only showcase Biren's pursuit of his passion for man and nature but also document his emotional development over the period. Biren's desire for a harmonious world for coexistence of all flora and fauna goes beyond the simple desire for an egalitarian society. This way he connects himself with the eleventh century poet Kalidas, whose concept of a “Topobon”, an ecological forest for peaceful co-existence of all living creatures, was realized by the catalytic effort of Shakuntala.
Although his works are diverse, Biren seems to be working again and again on the same theme, as if the flowers, animals, birds and the female faces in his prints are a manifestation of the same eternal order or truth. Biren's works make us emotionally involved and sensitive of the world in which we live.
The exhibition will continue till July 24.

The writer is an eminent architect and art critic.