Mahbubur Rahman was born in 1969 in Dhaka. He completed his MFA at the Institute of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka in 1993, and co-founded Britto Art Trust, the first non-profit artists’ collective in Bangladesh, in 2002 (www.brittoartstrust.org). A pioneer of the cross-media approach in the country, his practice includes drawing, sculpture, installation, performance and video. Rahman’s work engages with questions of history, society and the human condition to examine the impact of modernity on contemporary life in South Asia.

Mahbubur Rahman has held important solo projects at various international events such as the Dhaka Art Summit (Bangladesh, 2014 & 2012) and the India Art Fair (New Delhi, 2013). Rahman’s has held a number of solo exhibitions since 1994 and the most recent ones include Dust to Dust (2010-2015) at Bengal Art Lounge (Dhaka, 2015), Mahbubur Rahman curated by Vidya Shibadas at Devi Art Foundation (Delhi, 2009), Mumbai Tropism at the LOFT and Blue Frog (Mumbai, 2009), The Story of a Deceased Man at Gallery Kaya, (Dhaka, 2007), Spell of Weeping at La Galerie, Alliance Française (Dhaka, 2004).

His work has been included in major group exhibitions such as the first Bangladesh pavilion at the Venice Biennale (Italy, 2011), the Colombo Art Biennale (Sri Lanka, 2014), Videozoom: Bangladesh, Gallery Sala 1 Rome, (Italy, 2010) and several editions of the Asian Art Biennale (Bangladesh, from 1993 to 2014). A selection of other important group shows include Britto Arts Trust’s 1mile² Dhaka (Old Dhaka, 2009 and 2015), Britto New Media Festival, Shilpakala Academy (Dhaka, 2009), Off the Beaten Path, South Asian Artists’ Exhibition at Drik Gallery (Dhaka, 2009); Bangladesh Contemporary Art Week, Turkish Cultural and Tourism Center, (New York, 2008) and Bangladesh Contemporary Art Show organized by the Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts at the European Union House (Brussels, 2008). With fellow artist and wife Tayeba Begum Lipi, he set up a residency outcome exhibition at the Saitama City North Plaza Gallery, (Japan, 2014); Parables of our Times, Gallery Akar Prakar (Kolkata, 2010); Artificial Reality, La Galerie, Alliance Française (Dhaka, 2002) and Slave of the Civilization, a performance at Jyvaskyla, Finland in 2000.

Mahbubur Rahman took part in a number of residencies abroad, and notably to the Contemporary Art Japan residency in Saitama; JSW Residency in Kartanataka, India; Harmony Foundation, Reliance Mumbai, India; The LOFT Mumbai, India; Chang Moon Art Centre, South Korea; Sutra International Residency, Nepal; Jindal Township Karnataka, India; Cill Rialaig Project, Co. Kerry, Ireland; National Workshop for Arts and Crafts, Copenhagen; Cemeti Art Foundation, Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Irish Museum of Modern Art, Ireland; Arts Council Jyvaskyla, Finland; Gasworks Residency, London; Gallery ’68-elf’, Cologne and HAT Artists’ in Residency at Bristol University & Plymouth College of Art and Design UK. Finally, Mahbubur Rahman begun his journey in the performance art field in 1994 and performed in several countries comprising India, Thailand, Indonesia, UK, Finland, Germany, China, South Korea, France, Nepal and Bangladesh.

Rahman has received numerous grants and awards, including the Shera Bangali by Star Anada (India, 2011); the Grand Award at the 9th Asian Art Biennale (1999, Bangladesh) and the Honorable Mention Awards in the 14th, 7th and 5th Asian Art Biennale, the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Grand Prize at the 13th National Art Exhibition in 1998, as well as the Best Award in Sculpture in 1998, 1994 and 1990 at the Young Artists’ Exhibitions hosted by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

More information on Mahbubur Rahman can be found on www.mahbub-lipi.com or by writing directly to him: [email protected]