Printmaking is laborious, exhilarating and stimulating. It offers tremendous outcome with an opportunity for rethinking, reexamining and reworking. In the sub-continent, the practice of printmaking received vast popularity when the Kala Bhavan was established by the Tagore family in the beginning of the 19th century. The family previously established "Bichitra Club", where new styles and techniques of printmaking were explored. However, in our country, the medium (Woodcut) was introduced by Safiuddin Ahmed, Quamrul Hassan, Rafiqun Nabi, Abdus Satter and finally Anisuzzaman. But the medium did not get adequate response for various reasons. Though a number of gifted and promising printmakers have given ample times for popularising the medium, amongst them, Tarek Amin is one of the ardent printmakerswhohave been carefully practicing almost all sub-genres of prints. Each genre opens for him a new window where he gets a new flavour of thinking process.
This is Tarek's first solo exposition, and justifiably quite important in the artist's career. His works mainly plunge deep into woodcut, relief process, etching and aquatint, dry point and lithograph. Besides, he hasproduced a number of artworks in pen and ink, pencil and mixed media.His prints are considered to be pure realistic and his work zooms in on self-realisation, self-thinking processes and self-observation through himself.Some of his woodcuts also feature nubile women while a number of other prints demonstrate bucolic beauty. The belles truly represent the gracious beauty of Bengali women.
Most of Tarek's woodcuts are engrossed with a single figure, which is himselfin varied movements. His mode of expression is usually realistic, depicting particularly himself with different configurations. His works are suggestive of the human body. The artist often portrays human forms in both usualand unusual ways. His prime aim is to highlight the movements of human body and also to emphasise the inner struggle and torment of human beings. At times, his works have focused on figural movements and their significant articulations.
Tarek's pet subjects include intimate relationships, personal perception and thinking process to scrutinise the inner pain, struggle and longing. He also keeps his eyes on the country's socio-economic and political conditions which are very much connected to his woodcut prints and it can be easily said that his prints are truly the reflection of the society.
The background of most of his compositions is occupied by delightful hues and soft tones. Throughout his career, Tarek has concentrated on a very limited theme. His mode of expression is figurative expressionism and at times he etched light and forms through the approach of realism.Light and shade superbly interplay into his prints and he cautiously keeps a balance between figure and overall composition. It's very difficult to maintain the balancebetween both of the ingredients. Most of all, his prints are technique oriented and have a great touch of aestheticism. His deep understanding of the medium (woodcut) and his great zeal for the theme always assists him to create something mind-boggling and alluring. His prints look neat and clean, and always avoid ornamentation.
Tarek began his career as a realist printmaker. But with the passage of time, he has refined himself. Consequently, new-fangled composition and different types of objects have been added to his works. He is an emotionally charged printmaker and he etches what he feels in the core of his heart. His signature form is a recurring figure. The artist's aim is to translate emotions. His figures are stylistic rather than realistic. Another important feature of Tarek's work is his concentration on the relationship between inner and external movement. His prints on display focus on the strength and power inherent in humans. His figures are bold and valiant. The artist has used space to interact with figures. The combination, where one figure almost melts or dissolves into the other, expresses how dependent we are on one another for love and affection.
Tarek'shas acute aptitude to draw the philosophical aspects of nature. Losing himself in the natural world, the artist frequently takes themes from this affluent source and plays with shades and hues on paper. He has used quiet tones where pastoral's socio-economic and cultural structures have been highlighted.Some of his drawings are study-based and the themes as well as techniques are closely connected to realistic and impressionistic styles.
Tarek's creative process is spontaneous, touching, meticulous and detailed. His mode of expression is realistic. The printmaker can both thicken and minimise his colours while applying varied layers of hues. Most of his prints bring forth a touching quality. Illumination is a prominent feature in the works and the artist usually prefers luminous light. His themes and approaches explore the physical and often illusive emotional realms closely.
