Culture and heritage reveal our identity and the artists are certainly integral parts of these branches since they are ever seeking to revive our folk and traditional works. Abdus Shakoor falls under such types. For over a large span of his career, Shakoor has been working on folk motifs and ancient ballads. Folk ballads of Mymensingh-the famous Mahua and Malua love stories, Nakshi Kanthar Maath, Gazir Pata, Manasha Pata have found prominent places in his works. In his works, different types of birds have been featured on a large scale. When he started to work on folk motifs, the painter occupied himself with animal forms such as elephants, bulls, dogs, cats, tigers, birds, serpents and reptiles-all as pleasant and decorative motifs.
The current exhibition is quietly different from his other exhibitions because of the domination of spontaneous lines---the lines are very simple but have a lyrical appeal. It has also been easily comprehended that the lines are not time-consuming at all but give us a cerebral look. Line has played a significant role in his artworks. The painter has used straight lines, curves and scribbles while portraying human figure and animal forms. The treatment of his figures in some of his drawings bordered by thin black and white lines contains a lot of gestures and impulses, rendering a feeling of ancient scripture to his works. His ink drawings are done in contour, with a feeling of space on the background, which gives the composition a certain likeness to portraits. Overall the treatment of lines is simple in nature giving an illustrative expression to his paintings. Black is the predominant aspect of his works and sometimes he has used white lines on black backdrop that is also very noticeable.
Shakoor's works define various types of male and female figures, based on rural ambience in different settings. A number of his works focus on the expressions of female faces, specially the eyes. Women's ornamentation is also highlighted in his drawings. He has used traditional motifs like alpana patterns for years which carry his personal trademark. He has also used some geometrical shapes, for instance rectangles, oval, straight lines and circular forms. Some of his drawings depict wild flowers, leafs, birds with male and female forms.
Each of his paintings depicts a complete story that hides our national and traditional identity. He always likes to tell an anecdote through his works where one gets a glimpse of rustic lifestyle and of the folks of the surrounding ambiance. And the anecdotes convey to his works a mingle of sensibilities, sensations, want, frustration, yearning, poverty and conflict.
At the exhibition, two of his paintings depict the genocide of 25th March in 1971. The paintings have been done in 1976. On this fateful night in 1971, the Pakistani military junta launched the operation searchlight and mercilessly killed the Bangalee members of East Pakistan Rifles and police, students and teachers as well as thousands of common people in Dhaka city. Shakoor has tinted the paintings with his own experience and view.
Shakoor's painting career began in 1978 when he was studying in Baroda University in India. His passion for art was fuelled by discussions on arts by his teachers in the university. During his study in Baroda University, he started experimenting with different styles, forms and colours. He was specially moved by the spirit of Bengali art. The works of Jamini Roy also influenced him at the beginning of his career. But over the years he developed a unique style, adapting it from our folk art.
