Aminul Islam through the decades
Talking about his paintings, taken from different stages in his life, he says, "You learn by seeing. We copy from nature and what is around us. Going from realism to abstraction has been a long process, although, I admit, some artists take to abstraction, out of the blue, just because others around them are into it. You simplify forms into geometrical shapes and so go into abstractions. A lot of my works are simply called "composition", which keep shape and balance in mind. They have a lot of improvisation as one finds in classical music. If one wants to limit oneself to paintings that are easily recognisable, it would be like singing folk songs and veering away from classical music. For me tradition means the culture of the whole world and not just village women, boats, rivers and mustard fields." Explaining why had had used mirror with his canvas, he explains that this was to bring in the distorted images of the onlooker. Also, he wants the viewer to be a part of the painting.
With the persuasion of Zainul Abedin, Aminul Islam came away to Dhaka from Calcutta after Partition, and met creative people here like Shamsur Rahman, Hasan Hafizur Rahman and Alauddin Al Azad. In 1948 he joined the arts school with Quamrul Hassan and Safiuddin Ahmed to guide him. Zainul Abedin was then away in Karachi. After passing out in 1953 he went to Italy on a scholarship. Coming home three years later, due to the Suez crisis he could not go back to Italy. Also he was offered the post of a teacher at the Art College. "I was happy with the prospect," Aminul Islam says, " as I wanted to groom promising students myself." He adds that times then were different. What they learnt in five years is learnt now in two years, he says. Aminul Islam wanted to introduce experimentation but the authorities felt that the academic work should continue. At that time there was not many exhibitions and so there was limited sale. Young students supported themselves with illustration work. He himself, in his early days, had gone in for book illustration.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. While in Italy in 1955, he managed to sell two paintings for a good price and with the money he bought a motorcycle and toured Europe . In London he had his friends Hamidur Rahman and Novera. Staying in UK was, therefore, made easy for him. The trio went to Florence and visited the museums together. He also enjoyed being in Rome and Paris.
Bangladesh does not have a long tradition of pictorial art, maintains Aminul Islam. There is folk art in nakshiknathas in jamdani saris, while in West Bengal there was "Pot chitra", he points out. During the East India Company rule there were some paintings but there was nothing like the tradition of Moghul art in Bengal, Aminul Islam says. "Thus for us, to borrow from others is not an offence," he points out.
Aminul Islam has had 10 solo exhibitions and has taken part in innumerable group exhibitions.