Bringing together a broken world
In one print one sees a fish that depicts the greedy evildoers of the country who, according to the artist, go about society as leaders but are basically bent on making tidy sums for themselves. In the next picture a scrawny man is seen surrounded by snake-like creatures with human heads; they seem to be screaming. The picture delineates suffering and pain, according to the artist. The man himself does not stop to indulge in evil such as murder. Animals hunt for food but man kills because of inhuman reasons. Human beings are under constant pressure and that is the subject of one of the prints, where a man is depicted carrying an enormous elephant on his back. The world is full of struggle and strife, as the artist sees it, and man has multitudes of problems to face.
Another image of pain and distortion is Print 7 with black disfigured faces linked to different sized and shaped feet on a chrome yellow background. Here the artist depicts the torment in captivity during the wars around the world, which come under the series Lethal Chamber. "One finds atrocities in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan where captives are treated in inhuman, mindless manner," says Rahman, and these prints are my way of protesting against them. "I'm an ordinary man and I depict the fate of the masses. I'm not here to depict opulence and pleasure, fine gardens, fruits and birds."
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Another image shows a man resting uncomfortably, surrounded by bubbles, red and green, representing different signals in life. The background is red representing pain, suffering and danger. An interesting print shows a creature with the body of a fish and the face of a dog. The strange being is depicted as slowly swallowing up the red and green colours of the Bangladeshi flag that float behind it. The weird beast represents the enemies of the country. This again speaks of rampant evil that is evident in the society.
Yet another print has two figures with bloated bellies and spindly legs. They depict people looking for a savior in their dark and dismal existence. All the rest of the prints in the exhibition speak of pain, despair and insecurity as well.
Rahman divides his time between Italy and Bangladesh. He ahs had 10 solos and 20 group exhibitions in France, Italy and Japan.
The exhibition will remain open till April 16.