An assail into the art world with a soul pitch
Keeping the above in mind, and being patient and gentle with Sohel Rana's lyrical designs, shapes and choice of colours, one may say that beyond doubt here is a prolific and promising artist who has assailed into the art field with determination and dedication. With courage and hope Rana has created numerous items that has delighted the mind and eyes of the average art-lover who has time to "stand and stare." Rana may not have created a storm with his ceramic works but nevertheless the prices were reasonable, as are always most items of beginners.
Rana's search for vocabulary and grammar of art has resulted in a personal statement with experiments that are his own. Ceramic, on its own, has naturally ushered architectural components. Rana has not played up to the gallery but kept consistently to the lessons he has learnt and the experiments he has been allowed by his teachers. The artists search is that of numerous shapes and sizes, matching and contrasting colours and combining of highlights which are undoubtedly eye-catching.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. In Rana's stoneware bowl presented like a basket with lacing of strips of ceramic and tinted with beige, white and variations of blue, including the cobalt tine, done this year, we find an art piece that is both functional and aesthetic. There is then the flask type item that could be both a decorative item or something useful to put in the homes of the upper echelons of the bourgeoisie. This could even be given as an apt gift, as art items are slowly being recognised as festive presents for special persons. The motifs on this are rectangular with one shape fitted into the other and interlacing of diagonal lines of lighter hues surrounding the main darker designs. The jar is further decorated at the mouth with more diagonal deeper colours.
Rana's stoneware endeavours in shapes of human beings are more interesting, adventurous and almost like sculpture. One of these entries has the shape of leaning forward person with darker intermingling zigzags with a dark line intersecting the basic integral motif so that one could take this as a representation of both a human or a leaf, taken from nature. The other such human creation in beige, with head, torso and limbs suggested, with subtle burnt sienna and black interlacing geometrical motifs going through the centre of the image is again positively admirable and flamboyant. In seven more efforts in stoneware, Rana has proved his forte beyond and doubt.
For an artist so young, and limited experiences, he has still many feathers in his cap. This includes two solos at "Zainul Gallery" and five joint efforts. He is a teacher at a school at Gulshan. He did his MFA from the Fine Arts Institute, DU in 1998.