Adolescence, education, and married life
Nusrat Jahan Nazlee was born and raised in Dhaka, where her father held a prominent position in the Bangladesh Government. Due to his transfer to various districts, Nazlee spent her formative years in Dhaka, Chittagong, and Khulna. She showed a strong passion for drawing at early age, often utilising calendar pages as her canvas. Her class teacher appreciated her talent, and her peers used to eagerly wait for her next artistic creations. In addition to her drawing pursuits, she worked for dramas during the school’s cultural programs and also engaged in various sports activities. She took her BA degree from a local college in Dhaka.
Nazlee, a dedicated housewife, has carved out a segment of her daily routine for the pursuit of painting after fulfilling her family responsibilities. In addition to her passion for painting, she is also interested in interior decoration. She designed the interior of her elegant two-story home. Furthermore, she possesses a keen interest in landscape architecture.
An accomplished cook, Nazlee's food presentation is truly commendable. Her father-in-law, Md Shamsul Haque, a former president of Beximco and later the founder of Shams Group, holds her in high regard. Nazlee is also skilled in cake-making, and her culinary creations and presentation are highly praiseworthy. During his travels abroad, her father-in-law thoughtfully brought back colour tubes of multiple shades, spatulas, brushes, and other materials essential for her painting endeavours.
Nazlee's spouse, Md. Shamsul Huda, consistently motivates her to pursue her passion for painting. Upon the completion of each artwork, her husband is the first to view it and provide feedback. Nazlee believes that her journey as a painter would be significantly more challenging without the inspiration and support from her husband. Additionally, her brother-in-law, Md. Shamsu Zoha regularly brings her art materials whenever he travels abroad.
Flowers Nazlee generally uses a large canvas to depict flowers and untamed nature. Losing herself in the natural world, the artist frequently takes themes from this affluent source and plays with shades and textures on canvas. She sometimes likes to experiment with diverse vague and plain forms, and enjoys breaking and constructing them in many ways. Blossoming and budding flowers as well as dense forests are recurring features in her paintings. In many of Nazlee’s works, one finds a great interchange between abstract and realistic forms.
As a nature admirer, Nazlee's focus is on colour and its various facets. She also experiments with unstructured forms and vague compositions, which are scrupulously used in her works. The artist has often applied colours directly piling up thick and at times thin layers on the canvas, thereby, producing bold and dynamic images. Strong brush strokes create textural vibes in her works which have not been intentionally done. Occasionally, she deliberately creates a texture according to the paintings' distinctive requirements. She concentrates more on the application aspect and this trait creates a personal hallmark for her creations.
Boats of Bangladesh and riverine beauty
Nature has consistently served as Nazlee's primary source of inspiration. She endeavours to establish a connection with the natural world. The artist perceives nature as an inexhaustible reservoir of beauty, enigma, and anonymity. Her exceptional ability lies in capturing the philosophical dimensions of nature, its form and colour, to evoke sensitive emotions. Nazlee has depicted various types of boats found in different regions of the country, skillfully illustrating the beauty of rivers and the charm of rural landscapes. Throughout her career, she has cultivated a distinctive style, particularly focused on these themes. She predominantly favours acrylic as her medium due to its clarity and expressiveness. Acrylic allows her to convey her creativity with ease. Many of her works feature dynamic brushstrokes. She possesses the determination and talent essential for transforming her visual perceptions of the world into an emotionally resonant expression. Recently, Nazlee has demonstrated her skill in capturing the nuances of light and shadow, particularly in her representations of nature that feature serene rivers with boats and tranquil surroundings.
1971
Nazlee is a passionate artist dedicated to depicting the significant events of our esteemed Liberation War and Language Movement. She has created numerous collage-based paintings that reflect these themes. Her artwork is intricately linked to the tumultuous period surrounding the nation’s birth and highlights its pivotal moments in history. Through her paintings, she conveys a spectrum of emotions, including joy, love, and suffering. Elements such as the Language Movement of 1952, the six-point and eleven-point demands, Shaheed Minar, and letters written by Freedom Fighters are incorporated into her artworks. Additionally, she employs paper cuttings from public demonstrations, processions, and political gatherings of that era. Her aim is to authentically represent the essence of that historical period in her artworks.
Painting doorsNazlee has a particular affinity for doors, viewing them as more than simple entry points; they embody rich histories, cultural narratives, and spiritual meanings. She is particularly captivated by the doors of Makkah and Madina, which resonate deeply with her beliefs. Additionally, her artistic inspiration for depicting doors is based on the antique and medieval doors of Bengal, whose elaborate designs evoke the essence of past age. For her, a door transcends its physical form; it symbolises a passage—a metaphor for the journeys, challenges, and opportunities encountered in life.
Paintings focusing on booksNazlee has created paintings showing various sizes of books placed on tables, occasionally incorporating roses, and at other times, inscribing verses from the Quran in calligraphic style. She has utilised both rough and handmade paper to enhance the realistic mode of her artworks. Additionally, she has applied gesso to the canvas to add thickness. Gesso serves as a robust base for paint adhesion, prevents absorption into the surface, and can be employed to attain specific textures or finishes.
The primary objective of the theme (book) is to enhance reading habits, expand intellectual capabilities, and creativity. She consistently perceives potential constraints within our formal education system. The collection of “book-focused paintings” highlights her emphasis on reading, and nurturing a reading habit.
Folk based artworks
Nazlee is profoundly interested in folk art, particularly the elements of rural existence. She has noted the gradual disappearance of numerous folk items over time. To emphasise the significance of these objects, such as the Haat Pakha (hand fan), Palki (palanquin), Qula (winnowing fan), Ektara, and Dhol (musical instruments), she has incorporated them into her artworks. Utilising various collages on canvas, she infuses her paintings with a vibrant quality. Her skillful depiction of these objects, sometimes enhanced with additional materials, showcases her artistic vision.
Nazlee employs the impasto technique in her folk art series, utilising a rich array of colours. She incorporates vibrant hues into her works with a unique harmony and affixes various objects to the canvas. These elements contribute to a realistic representation within her works. Nazlee consistently strives to impart an authentic essence to her paintings. The materials she selects are well aligned with the overarching theme of her artworks.
The writer is an art critic and cultural curator.
