A noted social activist, Hashem Khan has used his work to project his social concerns. His paintings, aesthetically pleasing because of the skilful handling of colour, form and space, also project a message. Indeed, even a single recurring motif such as an empty rice bowl, can make a strong statement in favour of a social or political vision. Another recurrent motif, the bird, however, brings hope, as it sings of sweetness and lost innocence. Hashem Khan (b. 1941, Chandpur) graduated from the Government Art Institute in 1961. He did a short term training in book design and Illustration from ACCU, Tokyo, in 1979. He taught in the Institute of Fine Arts, Dhaka, for 44 years and retired in 2007. He was awarded the Ekushey Padak in 1992 and the Independence Day Award in 2011. A freelance artist, Hashem Khan lives and works in Dhaka. In 2005 Bengal Foundation produced a 29 min film on Hashem Khan titled The Journey is My Pleasure (directed by Manzare Haseen Murad)

Date: 04.09.2005 – 17.09.2005
Venue: Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts
Organiser: Bengal Foundation