Abdus Shakoor Shah on time-honoured folk motifs and Bengali ballads

Born in Bogura in 1946, renowned artist Abdus Shakoor Shah completed his Bachelor in Fine Arts from Bangladesh College of Arts and Crafts, Dhaka, in 1970. Under the India Bangladesh Cultural Exchange Programme Scholarship, he completed his Post Diploma in Fine Arts, from the M S University of Baroda, Gujarat, India, in 1978. Ballads and Paintings, a book featuring a variety of works with some rare photos of Shakoor, was launched several years ago.

His singular style involves time-honoured folk motifs and Bengali ballads. "My works have complex forms that engage my ideas in a dialectical exploration of metaphors, nuances and meanings. Yet, at the same time, they depict different expressive modes," he explains.  For over five decades, Shakoor has been persistently experimenting with newer modes of expression. His compositions are natural in essence, as they relate to the world of human experience, and take their strength from human feelings and emotions.

Following the folk-traditions of Zainul Abedin, Quamrul Hassan, Jamini Roy and Qayyum Chowdhury, the prominent features in Shakoor's paintings include the Mymensingh Geetika (ballads), Mahua and Malua love stories, Nakshi Kanthar Math and motifs of peacocks, parrots, elephants, bulls, cats, tigers, serpents and lizards.

Shakoor's compositions are bordered with free-flowing thick brush lines. His style has been compared with prominent European artists such as Piet Mondrian and Paul Klee.  In terms of the composition, his sketches retain only the bare essentials, sometimes employing just a brief line to cover for a whole figure. Yet, they are immensely expressive.

He draws his inspiration from progressive ideologies and sublime symbols. The kerosene lamps and lanterns are symbols of a developing country's poverty, struggle and hope, along with windows and doors, suggesting the need for pulling down oppressive social machines, are common in his paintings. In spite of the strident optimism that, at times, gives his sketches a rough edge, there is a genuine human touch in Shakoor's world.  

So far, the artist has held many solo and group art exhibitions in Bangladesh, India, France, Italy, UK, Pakistan, Canada, Dubai, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Czech Republic. For his contributions in promoting art, he received many prestigious awards, including the Best Prize of Lalit Kala Akademi, Gujarat, India, the Excellence Award, Ministry of Post and Telecommunication, Tokyo, Japan, Honourable Mention Award in the 13th National Art Exhibition, Dhaka, Gold Medal, in the 15th National Art Exhibition  Dhaka, Bangladesh, UNESCO & Civitella Foundation Fellowship, Umbria, Italy,  S M Sultan Padak (Gold Medal), Bangladesh and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Award, Tokyo, Japan.

His artworks are in the collections of the National Art Gallery, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Bangladesh National Museum, Mustra de Grafica, Italy, theMinistry of Post and Telecommunication, Japan, Osaka Prefectural Foundation of Culture, Japan, Enrigue Hudson Library, Argentina, Derby Art Gallery, Dubai, Shamballa Gallery, Denmark and  Gallery Charles de Gounod, La Reunion, France.

Oldham Gallery, UK, Bengal Foundation, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, Kolkata Nandonik, Asian Development Bank, Dhaka, Sheffield Museum, UK, Ahuza Museum, India, Silpakorn University, Thailand, Bangladesh Bank, Dhaka, and Standard Chartered Bangladesh have also collected his artworks.