Zahir Hossain’s art unlocks the truth about the universe

Zahir Hossain embarked on his voyage from oriental to abstract art around the beginning of the current century. As a student of the Craft Department, Faculty of Fine Arts, Dhaka University, he was immersed in portraying human relationships, nature and aves. Eventually the painter realised that the rigours of craft art were not suitable for his modernistic sensibilities. He then entered into in a new orbit of lines, colours, forms and texture when he found a dominant facet in art, which is distinctive, imaginative and cerebral. To art lovers, his works appear as pieces of cloud where he cultivates his pain, yearning, happiness and desire.
Zahir's present approach can be considered as pure abstract expressionism. The painter has been inspired by nature and its mysterious aspects. He comprehends nature and its varied elements appear with him in a vibrant way. His works appear as pieces of land where he cultivates his mind's perception and philosophical experience. His works consist of strong formal elements, such as colour, shape, balance, depth, composition, and scale.

Zahir is an ardent painter whose prime aim is to express his inner world through art. His soul is always in search of a space where an assorted of vital colours come together to represent suffering and ecstasy. His space is filled up sometimes with bright and, at other times paradoxically, subdued colours. His early palette consists of quiet colours. However, his colours begin to very quiet and tranquil dramatically in recent years.
Zahir is a workaholic painter and he works with a number of paintings simultaneously. His modes of expression are pure abstraction and abstract expressionism. He frequently changes the arrangement of his forms and compositions as well as the overall structure of his paintings (included oil and acrylic). Zahir builds up his lines, forms and textures in an individual mode. He has meticulously gone through various phases of experimentation with colours, textures, lines, and tones. For Zahir, media is very significant in his mode of expression. He likes to experiment with different mediums. His paintings are more or less confines of very limited colours like azure, yellow, mauve and crimson. It is apparent that his study on the shades proffered by nature is a very awe-inspiring feature in his paintings where there are colours present in all kinds of mind-puzzling compositions. His purpose has been to capture the splendour of nature which has not been visibly observed. His search for beauty and for contemplation on nature has influenced him to hold up in his paintings a blithe picture of nature. Many of his canvases are lavish in abstract images of colour.
Zahir involved himself in the contemporary art movement of Bangladesh with zeal, courage and creativity. He always feels comfortable working with a large canvas according to his theme and composition. His work is clarified by a powerful engagement with object and space. He has played with texture and illusion for the surface effects. Space has been created on the canvas although some of the colours have appeared flat in his works. The tonal plus linear approach gives his work a different quality and distinct look.

As a contemplative artist, Zahir muses on the consistency of colours, smooth textures and amazing features. For their unique application on the canvas, the colours come across as lively, sometimes subdued and the forms as well as compositions come into view with magnificent adornment. The painter likes to work on big canvases. This orients him towards work that can simply be categorised as fervent and courageous. He invests considerable time on each painting. He is very meticulous about creating the ground of the canvas. At first, the painter applies colours directly -- piling them up thick, and at times thin -- on the canvas, and tries to create an image that is dynamic and has appealing texture and sensuous tones.
However, Zahir began his career as a pure naturist painter, demonstrating the scenic world with its rich profusion of colours, views, light, shade and tranquility. His works mostly feature different types of birds, shrubbery and flowers. He has also been busy exploring the beauty of aquatic life. He also prefers seasonal changes, quiet landscapes, growing leaves and more. He also focuses on boats. He draws forms of boats that resemble the impression of a new moon or Addressing the unobserved: Comprehending nature through canvas crescent. He maintains a good balance between colour and forms. The interplay of darkness and light is another significant characteristic of his works.

Zahir Hossain Newton's 10th solo painting exhibition is going to be held on August 26 at Chuwa Gallery, Ginza, Tokyo. The exhibition will continue till August 31.