THROUGH THE EYES OF MONIRUL ISLAM
The person whose name is indistinguishable from the arena of art is the internationally-acclaimed artist Monirul Islam. He was born in 1943 in Jamalpur, Bangladesh. From 1966-1969, he studied in current Fine Arts at the University of Dhaka. In 1969, he got a scholarship in Cultural Relations and from 1969-1971 studied at Madrid Academy of Fine Arts on Mural Paintings.
A huge number of his exhibitions, workshops and art camps run the whole gamut of artistic styles. Since 1986, he has been an honorable International Jury Member. He received many prestigious national and international awards including the International "Bennial of Graphics", Ibiza, Spain (1972); "Palm of Gold", Beaux-Arts; "International Art Guild", Monte Carlo, Monaco (1975); "International Print and Drawing Exhibition Prize", ROC, Taiwan (1983); "Saddam Merit Prize", Baghdad International Art Festival (1986); "National Award of Prints" (1997)' "Ekushey Padak" (1999) – the highest National Award of Bangladesh; "NRB National Award", Scholars of Bangladesh (2007); "Berger Lifetime Achievement Award" (2016) and many others..
INSPIRATION
My first inspiration is my mother. When I was a kid, people around me did not have proper understanding about art and its colossal beauty. Only a few people supported me on that time. Remarkably, the Headmaster of my school (Kishoreganj Ramananda High School), Sir Jagadish Roy, inspired me to flourish my potential in art. After joining the Art College, I found a great teacher, Sir Mr. I Base, who taught me very carefully. Additionally, the eminent artist Sir Kibria and Sir Mustafa Monwar are some of my honorable instructors whose inspirations were prodigiously motivational in growing my interest towards art and I strongly admire the ideologies and philosophies of them. Our great Shilpo-Guru Sir Zainul Abedin is also my inspiration. I am proud to say that I am a lucky person because I had the chance to work with him. He visited Chandpur and met me, resulting in an experience I will never forget. After coming to Spain, I got to know more about many of the great artists and their artworks. Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, Francisco Goya, Tapies, Antonio Lorenzo and many other great artists are my inspirations. My friends and well-wishers are my lifetime inspirations as well.
PHILOSOPHY
Life is momentous; in this short span of life, we have a lot of duties and responsibilities as human beings. Painting is a form of art which keeps changing all the time and it is a universal communication process. In my view, art is successful when it is admired universally. No specific language is needed to have the acceptance and appreciation by the people of other countries, because art itself is a language with a heavenly grace. The people who are able to wear the beauty of art are the luckiest people in the world. Of course, folk art is the root of our nationality, but after that we have to go for other forms of art which widens our thoughts.
VIEWS ON HIS PROFESSION
In my view, a piece of art is stronger than the artist. To become a successful and sustainable artist, one should be passionate and dedicated toward his artwork. Many of our young artists are very talented and I appreciate their excellence. Remarkably, many organizations are rewarding and inspiring them, which is very positive in preserving our root culture. Therefore, I am very hopeful of the young generation of our country.
BOOKS
One Hundred Years of Solitude is on the top of my favorite lists. It is a legendary novel by the eminent Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez. The book enchants me through its use of magical thoughts and presentations.
FILMS
Pather Panchali by Satyajit Ray is one of my most favorite movies. The Godfather, Two Women, An Andalusian Dog, War and Peace, Gone with the Wind and Casablanca are some other films I am a fan of. I also like to watch entertainment and fiction films.
MUSIC
Music has a divine magnetism with me which never fails to amaze me. I do not consider any barrier in case of listening to music; rather, I like listening to all genres of songs. Indian classical music, specifically, never fails to charm me. I also love listening to Opera, Jazz and Ethnic music. Music is a universal language and which song I would like to listen will depend on the overall atmospheric condition.
IDOLS
Undoubtedly, my parents are my idols. I also greatly admire the Shilpo-Guru of our country, Sir Zainul Abedin. I strongly admire the ideologies and philosophies of the legendary artists Sir Mustafa Monwar and Sir Kibria.