Abul Hasnat

The Dhaka Printmakers, a group of seven artists—Rokaya Sultana, Ahmed Nazir, Rafi Haq, Rashid Amin, Mustafa Zaman, Humayra Rahman and Ashok Biswas—converged into an exhibition in January 1993, at the Alliance Française. Behind their association lay the need to share ideas and to inform the public about the nuances of printmaking. The eighties and nineties were defining years for the art movement in Bangladesh and it was during that time that printmaking earned the stature it deserved. In the preceding decades, the works of two inimitable maestros, Saifiuddin Ahmed and Mohammad Kibria, had succeeded in establishing the significance of this medium.

The mid-Twentieth century saw the revitalization of printmaking in the West as artists began to experiment with different methods. In this clime, printmaking evolved through a prolonged engagement with tradition and consolidated its position by experimentation and innovation. The technical finesse and artistic vitality required to master printmaking calls for a long and arduous engagement with the work. In this context, one must acknowledge the role of the Department of Printmaking in the Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka, in nurturing and facilitating this study.

In the nineties, the seven young printmakers referred to above, were already known for their ability to create a personal idiom, and their emergence as a group made quite a stir. Demonstrations of various degrees of artistic excellence were reflected in that first exhibition. The themes of pathos and pleasure in their works were thought-provoking.

The second exhibition opened in Hong Kong in March 1993 to rave reviews. In 1998, the Indian High Commission in Dhaka sponsored their third exhibition. After that there was a protracted lull.

Bengal Gallery’s attempt at organizing ‘Awakening’ marks the return of the group. Five of the core members – Rokeya Sultana, Ahmed Nazir, Rafi Haq, Rashid Amin and Mustafa Zaman – have once again set out to explore the medium of printmaking. In this respect, Awakening is set to revitalize the art scene, and it certainly augers an interesting and stimulating future as the artists bring forth an exuberance employing multiple visions.

Rokeya Sultana is the oldest of the five; she is one of the preeminent artists of the country who trails a history of working in different media – and for which her work appeals to a wide audience. She has received training both at home and abroad. Her entries to this show testify to her diversity and in her handling of the media. She seems poised on the threshold of a new awareness and expressivity.

Ahmed Nazir has long been engaged in experimental print processes. At one stage of his creative journey he immersed himself completely into abstraction. He has recently launched a series that appropriates human visages. His works bring into view a noir sensibility – things glow from within in that twilight world. The series is an amalgamation of two entities – the son and the distinguished father, maestro Safiuddin Ahmed.

Rafi Haq is known for his acumen and technical finesse in printmaking. His work displays a keen engagement with the medium. In Awakening his works emit a heightened sense of human tragedy and loss, and awakening and understanding.

Rashid Amin has long been contemplating the finer aspects of printmaking. He brings forth a subtleness to the medium which bears the signs of a deep and caring engagement.

Mustafa Zaman projects a keen and critical vision that favours experimentation. His novel discourse juxtaposing the forms of animals and humans brings with it a sense of the beyond. The lines have a dynamism that lend an obvious new dimension.