Bangladeshi artist making waves in Canada
Asked if it was easy to set himself up as an artist in Montreal, Rakeeb says that he was committed to his work and he got the help of those around him. He was determined to stay and learn from his surroundings in Canada and so he pressed on. "I want to learn more about modern art and the aboriginal art of North America. My recent exhibition at Gallery Gora at Montreal established my success," Rakeeb says.
Going back to his Kenya experience, he says that he was always interested in African art. "I believe that it influenced artists like Picasso and Jean Cometti," says Rakeeb. The French Cultural Centre exposed him to more of the beauty and originality of primitive art. "I did workshops going from village to village and learnt more about African art for almost decade," he recalls. When the Royal Overseas League sponsored him in England he moved on there.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. As Canada is a country of immigrants, Rakeeb says, there is a fusion of various cultures. There is some frustration among the immigrants but Rakeeb tries to stay clear of this. Going back to his African experience, Rakeeb says, at first, when he had not got his admission to study he did a solo show of 35 paintings and these were all sold, giving him the encouragement that he needed. These paintings were symbolic like Homeless that contained owls on a tree bearing human faces. He has had some experience as a magazine illustrator earlier in Bangladesh. Gradually he moved from the symbolic to the figurative, dealing mostly with nature. He also ventured into the abstract as in Metaphor of the baobab (baobab being a common African tree). There is then the Jongleur painting, which deals with travelling singers. In Oiseau fatigue des pleurs sur la mer we see a bird floating in the oil-polluted waters of Montreal. Roots refers not just to plants but to man's background. Rakeeb changes his style according to his subject and mood. The Montreal exhibition combined the figurative with the abstract.
Rakeeb's poetic sensibilities lend his works a kind of romantic lyricism while his social consciousness keep them firmly rooted in the reality of time and space.