A brush with harmony and unity

There may be geopolitical issues, cross-border terrorism, dispute over water-sharing and distribution, tussle over illegal trespassing or encroachment of settlers without valid documents of citizenship and other such niggling factors, constantly brewing a simmer of tension in bilateral relations between two countries. But does that mean, there cannot be any truce to bridge the widening gulf to create an amicable atmosphere Of course there can be. And with a common passion at heart, all well-wishing cultural ambassadors from both sides of the barbed wire, are ever eager to tread a line of peace and unity. Now, the route has to be of non-violence, artistry and aesthetics, be it through music, literature, paintings, theatre, movies, festivals, discourses, et al. And then only the ties of friendship can be made stronger and smoother.

Of late, unveiling the solo exhibition of recent works by internationally renowned veteran Bangladeshi artist Shahabuddin Ahmed, the Indian president Pranab Mukherjee had stressed upon this very aspect of amity and goodwill existing between two Bengals (East and West) who partitioned as a cruel price to be paid for freedom. True that the epar and opar Banglas are like two estranged sisters possessing similar language, colonial history, culture, cuisine, handicrafts, textiles as in saris, parts of natural beauty, and so on. Yet there is an invisible separating wall in between. Interestingly, even their national anthems are written by the same bard, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. For instance, Jana gana mana adhinayaka .for India and Amar Sonar Bangla .for Bangladesh. But the door is thankfully kept ajar for the cultural corridor to always facilitate a healthy exchange of communication between the two nations.

Echoing the above sentiment, the tousled-haired painter meekly asserts: “You know, I deeply trust the rising new sun, a new morning and hence, a fresh positive beginning.” “See, what happened to the Chit Mahal identity crisis! Finally, the numerous enclaves got exchanged between two countries and the event marks a chapter of great significance in Indo-Bangla political history. Yes, this momentous occasion should have taken place decades ago for the deceased to have lived and tasted its blessing. But as they say, better late than never and I am exceedingly happy for this stinging imbroglio to pass at long last,” the sexagenarian thinker amplifies his point.

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) in Kolkata just concluded showcasing Shanti — an array of his paintings at the reputed Ganges Art Gallery, dwelling on the theme of optimism, brotherhood, harmony and serenity. Albeit he is the national pride of Bangladesh, yet his artistic consciousness has refused to stay within its limits. For creativity knows no bounds or barriers. It spreads like a wildfire from one continent to another. Ahmed too has been universally celebrated for his remarkable contribution and commitment towards the world of art and culture. His notable recognition thus comes in the form of a prestigious French title Chevalier de I’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight in the Order of the Arts and Literature). His French connection occurred after obtaining a scholarship to study at the Ecole Superieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris prior to which, he was formally schooled at the well-esteemed institution of Dhaka’s Academy of Fine Arts.

In 1992, he added another feather in his cap as one of the chosen 50 master painters of contemporary arts, an award conferred upon at the Olympiad of Arts, Barcelona.

With the European belt conspicuously falling under terror-strikes and countries like France and Belgium supposedly emerging as a breeding ground of alleged suspects and prospective soft-targets for the militants, our conversation predictably veered to the Paris attacks, inflicted only last November. “Brute force is the order of the day and victimisation through violence and massacre seems the modern-day tool of suppression. I still remember those early hours of that unlucky Friday, the 13th. When the news of carnage broke, I just froze like ice. I was in Paris with my daughter,” he recalls the fearful incident. “Every day we come across newspaper headlines that hit a raw nerve. They froth over torment and terror-explosions in Iraq and Syria with a posse of ‘caped crusaders’ claiming responsibility for the atrocities and justifying their perverse ideology for such heinous crimes.

One can’t help questioning the value of civilisation and the changes it brought alongwith it at this critical juncture! Are we the most precious species — created by God — at all Have we completely lost our sanity We are not distinctive from one another in terms of black, brown, yellow or white races but by virtue of our human self. The degree of compassion and humility may vary from individual to individual but when it exhausts at a zero level, the very basis of our presence is doubted, the core of our human civility is entirely shaken. Is it money, muscle-power, weaponry or nuclear breakthroughs confined to certain clouts controlling such operations None has an appropriate answer. We are all groping for it,” he attempts hard to explore a volley of earth-shattering probabilities.

Inspired by Gandhian principles and Tagorean philosophy, the painter did offer his tributes to the two towering personalities of 20th century in his collection of 40 oil-on-canvas pieces. Fluidity of colours revealed his internal turmoil provoked by the contemporary chaos prevalent in current social surroundings. A riot of emotions was also at play when the work moved in progress. Multiple hues dissolved homogenously with vigorous brushstrokes establishing the struggles of mankind since its evolution against the stormy elements of nature as well as socio-economic-political disturbances. There is a note of dynamism and a dance of movement in his male figures that appear to push through time and space restraints as well as the grim realities of life. A sense of rhythm flows over his creative vista as his signature trait. “I wish to host this exhibition in Dhaka too,” he declares.

Talking of scientific revolutions as witnessed in space researches, rocket-launchings, nuclear-power, boom of internet, lab-inventions, etc., Ahmed reminds us of another kind of revolution and its colour that shares the redness of blood dripping over a cracked earth’s parched surface. “We were rebels with a cause, thirsty of freedom and we fought wars against oppression and injustice of a foreign misrule,” he reminisces. At 22, the painter had actively participated in the Liberation War of Bangladesh by serving as a Platoon Commander in the Muktibahini. The period dates back to those troubling times of 1971, much before he had embarked himself upon a profound artistic voyage for the rest of his life. “It was been injected in my blood I guess. My father Tayebuddin Ahmed knew Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (founding leader of Bangladesh and its ex-prime minister) and was highly influenced by his ideals, stance and actions. They belonged to the same age-group and had pursued academics in Kolkata.

We were trained as combatants in artillery at the Agartala camp. Our idols were all great revolutionary predecessors like that of the cult Argentine Marxist leader Che Guevara of Latin America,” recalls the former battlefield soldier.

His first-hand experiences in the freedom movement have clearly found an outlet of expression in his artworks. Having depicted numerous scenes from the war of independence in his paintings like the murder of erstwhile Bangladeshi intellectuals and portraits of key architects of the fight for freedom, Ahmed’s oeuvre however never stagnated to get caught in a time warp. “I believe in looking forward and mapping the course of future. At the same time, I like recording the present times,” espouses the maverick. “The way the Berlin Wall was ultimately demolished almost 26 years ago to merge the two Germanys, I have a gut-feeling that our contemporary obstacles will too meet the same doom,” he confidently considers. “It utterly pains me to observe the ‘insult of art’ or stumbling upon the slain bodies of writers-bloggers in our day-to-day news feeds, but we can’t alight from the train to our chosen direction. We must keep the boat of hope afloat and move ahead on our journey,” he signs off with a point to ponder.

Honoured with the Shadhinota Padak in 2000 and Bangla Academy Award in 1974, his works are displayed across many galleries around the globe.