As part of the 6th founding anniversary of Dhaka art Centre (DAC), the centre has organised a five day Kibria Chhapchitro Mela (Kibria Print Fair) at the premises of DAC, Dhanmondi in the city. DAC has been organising the fair since 2011 to pay homage to the late abstract painter Mohammad Kibria. The art fair began yesterday. Cultural Minister Asaduzzaman Noor was present as chief guest at the inaugural session. Noted art collector and enthusiast Durjoy Rahman Joy was present as special guest. Veteran artist Rafiqun Nabi presided over the programme.
A Lifetime Achievement Award was conferred on veteran Bangladeshi expatriate painter Monirul Islam at the 4th installment of the Kibria Print Fair, for his contributions to the development of arts and culture in the country. Besides the award, three promising printmakers also received awards at the festival.
Monirul Islam is mainly recognised as a printmaker, who produces different genres of prints. However, over the years he has focused more on painting. Currently, his application of paint is profound and the lines are more minimised; colours give the impression to be both quiet and vivacious. These works simultaneously demonstrate technical finesse and mature intellect. His relationship with geometric abstraction has made him one of the pioneers of abstract painting in our country. Some of his works feature scribbles and clean compositions -- articulating fantasy, longing and melancholy.
Currently, Monir's paintings often feature many surprising elements. Each medium has a particular feature. As part of experimentation and developing new demonstrations, Monir has used oxide colours, smoked black, different types of soil, coffee, marble dust, brick dust, burnt ground rice, acramin and natural pigments. The painter has used special glue that bonds the materials. One remarkable feature of his works is that he has pasted paper on canvas in a number of his works. Then he has worked on them with acrylic, oil, hand colour, pencil and other mediums to portray varied surrealistic and symbolic images, which feature elements of surprise, perplexity, unanticipated juxtapositions and vague forms.
The participating institutions are---- Printmaking Department, Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA), University of Dhaka; Printmaking Department, Institute of Fine Arts, Chittagong University; Printmaking Group, Fine Arts Department, Rajshahi University; Printmaking Studio, Fine Arts Department, University of Alternative Development (UODA); Atelier '71, Cosmos Atelier '71, Shunno Art Space, Dhaka; Bornika Print Studio, Dhaka; Bangladesh Printmakers Association, Porapara Space for Artists, Chittagong and Kibria Printmaking Studio, Dhaka Art Centre.
The fair will continue till January 5.