Art, not bound by Rules

Hamiduzzaman Khan boasts an almost magical touch, of turning the ordinary into the extraordinary, with his exuberant art. With his vast experience and insightful thoughts on life, nature and the country's opulent cultural heritage, the artist shuns the thought of confining himself to a single medium, always experimenting with diverse styles.

Solitude and serenity -- vital aspects of his works -- also reflect inner feelings, real life experiences and nostalgic memories. In a recent conversation, the artist asserted his opinions on whether academic pursuit is necessary or not for an artist.

“An academic learning, is simply a structure upon which individuals act, which is no different for artists pursuing academics,” says Hamiduzzaman. “A formal learning is not inevitably essential for creating arts or being an artist.”

According to him, being an artist requires ceaseless practice. Artists are born but not manufactured or created. He mentions the ancient civilisations, where people would create cave paintings, not only to express themselves but also to communicate. If an individual is bent on following the rules, he or she is unlikely to ever become a true artist.

“The world welcomes new styles and techniques,” expresses Hamiduzzaman. “The world is forever evolving. An artist, too, should change with time and embrace new patterns of thought”

One thinks of the frontrunners, who came up with timeless creations, despite having no formal academic background, namely, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Abanindranath Tagore, Rabindranath Tagore, Maqbool Fida Husain, S.M. Sultan and many more.

Hamiduzzaman mentions one of the  pioneers of art in Bangladesh – Zainul Abedin. “He had not even passed his matriculation examinations!” says Hamiduzzaman animatedly. “Abedin's works are testament to the fact that, one does not always require to be academically qualified to become an artist.”

It needs to be remembered that even though academic qualifications are in no way undermined, it is not the 'be all and end all' of art.