Artist Tutul and his family’s benevolent initiative in response to COVID-19

Celebrated contemporary artist and curator Harun Ar Rashid Tutul is an assistant professor at the Department of Graphic Design, Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka. The award-winning artist always thinks outside the box while creating his artworks. Be it painting, performance, video installation or new media works, Tutul is known for his multitude of talents.

Inspired by the noble initiative of Professor Nisar Hossain, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka, Tutul, along with all his family members, including artists Dinar Sultana Putul, Zillur Rashid Dollar, Azmeri Sultana, Fatema Tuz Zohura Effi, Fozla Rabby Meshu, Khurshid Jahan Dola, Parvez Sangram and Erad Jahan, has been making face shields for healthcare professionals who are treating coronavirus patients at hospitals in Joypurhat. Tutul, with his elder brothers Bazlur Rashid, Khalilur Rashid Dulal and Mamunur Rashid Bulbul, handed over 50 face shields to the caretaker of Joypurhat Adhunik Zilla Hospital on April 13.

Tutul (R) with Putul, Effi and Sangram manufacture face shields for healthcare professionals.

Tutul captures the essence of time in his series 'The Restless Waves of Time.' He also enjoys building sculptures of human heads and places them on top of toy cars. "I try to render my realities into my works," he says. "I enjoy portraying art based on everyday objects that I interact with, such as my computer, set design materials, print media, motion, graphics, animation, interior and fashion designing tools. I strongly believe that we must use materials that are environmentally friendly. Modernity constitutes whatever is beneficial to humanity and the world we live in."

Tutul's 'War of Invasion' artwork.

His art evokes peace, beauty and the contemporary global socio-political issues. To depict his new media works, Tutul incorporates aesthetic digital drawings, binary codes, drawings of Kalighat Pats and compactness of rickshaw paintings. He further explores colliding aspects of reality, crisis of the modern man, the harsh reality of urbanisation, sacred symbols and other themes. He is also involved with many socio-political and cultural organisations.

Over the years, Tutul has emerged as one of the finest curators in Bangladesh. He was the curator of several successful art festivals, like 'Art Festival Joypurhat 2016', 'Art Festival Gazipur 2019' and 'International Art Festival Nilphamari 2020'.    

Tutul won the prime award in 3D paintings at the World Youth Art Festival 2017, held in South Korea. He also won grand awards, both at the 17th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh in 2016 and at the 22nd National Art Exhibition in 2017.