A modernist painter and mosaicist, Aminul Islam (b. 1931, Dhaka), is also the forerunner of critical writing on art in the country. After graduation from the Government Institute of Art in Dhaka in 1953, he moved to Florence for higher study. Aminul taught in the art institute for 28 years and retired as Principal in 1984. He received the Grand Imperial Prize in the 5th Tehran Biennale (1966), the Bangladesh Shipakala Academy Award in the 2nd National Art Exhibition (1976), the Ekushey Padak (1981), the Bangladesh Charushilpi Sangsad Honour (1985) and the Independence Day Award (1988). To mark the 50th anniversary of fine art in the country, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy conferred a special award on Aminul Islam in 1998. Aminul died in July 2011.
The solo exhibition featured over a hundred of Aminul’s drawings spanning a period of fifty years. The works were real portrayals of the young Aminul struggling his way to maturity–thoughtful, pensive, brilliant, but never stagnant. A book of his drawing and art writing edited by Osman Jamal was published by Bengal Foundation in 2002.

Date: 10.02.2001 – 28.02.2001
Venue: Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts