Celebrated artist Mohammad Iqbal emerged in the Dhaka art scene in the 1990s with his potent philosophical themes and experimental paintings. His protagonists on canvas are usually saint, spiritualist, exploited people, mystics and children. In recent years, his pet subject has become children, whom he regards as neglected and mistreated.
Iqbal's search for a more sublime world devoid of the current rush for materialistic benefits by returning to one's original state regardless of whether it constitutes savageness or childhood can certainly be termed as unpragmatic by post modernists. However as has been the discourse throughout the past century that there is hardly any other option left to save individuals from magnifying the state of 'existential nothingness', Iqbal's doctrine sheds some light of hope. Iqbal like the Victorians craves for returning to the past. However in this age we know that this can lead to highly unjustified ends. The only option suggested by sociologists so far is, a compromise achieved collectively which though might always be precarious and, in most cases, is unattainable provides the only background for dreams of a better future. It is evident that Iqbal does not necessarily ruminate on these issues. But it cannot be declared that what he deals with is of any smaller significance. The composition of his subject also has to be credited with distinction.
With the progress of modern, civilization, we as human being are increasingly getting lost in the vortex of woeful obscurity. The advancement of civilisation is putting forward the question of one's existence recursively. We, whether to escape from facing this situation or simply to satiate the inherent human lust which is always looking for more, are immersing ourselves with this tide without a second thought. This while framing the 'existential question' ever more frequent is resulting in withholding the genuineness at the very childhood. Thus only by returning to our childhood memories and self can we hope to disavow the influx of capitalism and dare to face the truth by coming to terms with it under our authentic consciousness. Iqbal has tried to do this very same thing. We can see in his paintings periodically fading faces of children whose hair have not grown as yet which in turn reflects that their originality barely lasts their infancy. These children's faces remind one of the feelings incomprehensible for the matured mind of the twenty first century. The 'ultra modern' mind of the adult has turned a blind eye to the dubious twists and turns of politics involving capitalism, the lush and double-standards of modern individualism, the corporate hypocrisy, bullying military and diplomatic tactics pervading throughout the present 'civilised world.' Bearing this attitude of the modern man in mind, painter Iqbal once used to draw the social outcasts or the nomads who found it hard to conform with their puzzling and repulsive surroundings. These people had little care for the length of their beard and hair as they did not find it necessary to be troubled by the valueless norms and etiquettes of society. The restless search of these original individuals for answers to the fundamental questions regarding one's being can rarely be found in present day humans as the progress of economies has diminished their (the nomad's) existence as well. Thus the painter has chosen to resort to the origin of himself and every other individual to view the actual world hidden behind the haze of money and propriety. But traces of the mendicants and bards can still be found in his paintings as he has kept himself open to all options available.
From the commencing of his career, Iqbal's creative process has been impulsive, touching, scrupulous and detailed. It should be mentioned that the artist firstly concentrates on his theme, then he pours his labour to other technical aspects. In his professional life, the painter is very much wary of his grist of the mill and its philosophical and cerebral aspects. Previously, the painter gave more importance to his subject than its technical aspect. During that time he used impasto layers, in which the materials intertwine with other stuffs. Besides gripping the subject, he was occupied with thick colour where he created the character with help from superbly used spatula and brush on his canvas.
In recent years, Iqbal is very meticulous about creating the ground of the canvas. To create the background for his paintings, the artist layers eight to ten times before making a level satisfactory enough for plunging deep into the subject easily. He has created varied kinds of dots, tiny round and oval sized forms with different shades. Some of his canvases are engrossed with vague forms, compositions and shadowy figures. Sometimes the painter applies colours directly -- piling them up faintly thick, and at times thin -- on the canvas, and tries to create an image that is dynamic and has appealing texture and sensuous tones. The backgrounds of most of his compositions are occupied by abstract forms, soothing colours and soft tones. Some works include engraving of ambiguous forms while others are populated by scribbles and amorphous forms. Iqbal invests considerable time on each painting. The most significant feature of his paintings is that the surfaces of his paintings appear to us in same tone in every spaces of his painting.
The painter's mode of expression is varied but all of his works carry an individual hallmark. His mode of expression is realistic, abstract, semi-abstract, conceptual, figurative and abstractly expressionistic.
As mentioned before in recent times the artist has developed a fondness for children. Iqbal has portrayed many faces of children in approximately the same disposition. Through the oval shaped faces, the artist seeks to convey the innocent and unaltered dreams and yearnings of children. Their eyes are the predominant aspect of these paintings. The eyes express surprise, pain, longing, puzzlement and panic. The artist feels all children look the same and their desires and expressions are also similar.
Apart from children Iqbal's protagonists are usually oppressed people and sages. The differences prevailing within the economic structures of a capitalistic habitat leads him to portraying their lifestyles. From the onset, his works have mirrored the bitter realities of the society. The subject has been addressed at times with abhorrence against injustice and often with anxiety and rage caused by it.
Iqbal focuses on the lives of Bauls and sages. The Baul's way of life and philosophy attract him the most as he finds spirituality and sanctity in them. He has also painted red clothing, beads, horns of buffaloes, animals, talisman and trident to refer to the Bauls. Some of other motifs in his paintings are middle-aged figures, ancient edifices, rivers, vessels, hills and sky. The figures sometimes in the middle of the canvas, sometimes on the sideways- always turn up in the foreground taking the prominent place with strains of agony getting the focus. Some of his paintings clearly highlight pure composition that conveys his fondness for translucent lines and tiny forms.
Iqbal is a member of the faculty at the Department of Drawing and Painting, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka. He has received many prestigious awards including Aoki Shigeru Grand prize, Nomura Grand Prize from Tokyo University of the Arts, Grand Prize, the 14th Memorial Exhibition of Aoki, City Mayor Award, Maebashi, Atish Dipankar Gold Medal in Fine Arts, Dhaka and more. His paintings can be found in almost all significant galleries in the country, as well as in many private collections, galleries and museums abroad. His paintings can be found in almost all significant galleries in the country, as well as in many private collections, galleries and museums abroad.
The exhibition was inaugurated on August 24 at Gallery Chayamachi, Osaka in Japan, and ended on August 29.
