Evidence of our times
In another painting, we see a fragment of the sea and oblong gelatinous shapes in gray, white and black seen on blue. In another composition is an old wall with lichens shown in shades of brown, black and gray. Within it a triangle form brought in human vision. "The wall is a witness to the truth although it cannot say anything. There is a hope in the old wall that one day it will be something beautiful and bright. The wall is a symbol of the oppressed whom no one bothers about but who continue to exist," Eunus said. Two large gray compositions also stand for neglected walls with scratching and scribbling on the ash. There is a touch of bright colours to bring in hope.
One then comes across a peacock seen from behind and in front. This is in blue, gray, red and black. The dancing bird in red along with the clouded sky was brought in another canvas. The gray sky at the back is splashed with blue and red. In another one the golden haze of the evening merges with the afternoon when a yellow shine falls over houses, trees, rice fields and water expanses in the village. Eunus has brought simplified forms also in his "Journey" which has a single oblong shape supported with a rectangle which stood for a boat. The artist has played with texture as in all the paintings as this gave him supreme satisfaction.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The painting which reached out to the beginning of civilization has brought in a horn and a bison. Another brings simplified forms of human beings done with child-like simplicity on a background of brown, beige and white. In yet another is the "Watcher" with the human form with an enlarged eye while another brought in the atmosphere of the orchestra with the keys of the piano at the bottom. The abstract splashes on top with burnt sienna, beige and blue brings in the atmosphere of a grand musical evening. Female figures in green and yellow merge into one another in the next canvas.
Despite living in Japan for a long time in pursuit of higher studies, Eunus has not been directly influenced by the tender beauty of Japanese art. His colours clearly voice the existential dilemma of our times. However, his views are not only destructive: they incorporate hope and search for beauty. He documents the discontentment and fear of our times in his abstracts. The smoothness of his canvas is tempered by flashes of fire. The images that Eunus has created by burning acrylic sheets are evidence of the decaying world. The abstract expression of this artist is different from other contemporary artists. Instead of using pleasing appealing colours of the others' work, he bears witness to the madness of the current times in an eruption of violent colours in different layers. This eruption of colours is accompanied by contrast, and the reality of texture is created in this abstract expression.
Eunus has won eleven awards and grants including the Third Prize at the First Islamic Art Biennal, Tehran, Iran in 2001, Sho Rei Award, Tokyo, Japan in 1986, and the Grand Prize for Oil Painting, at the Institute of Fine Arts, DU, 1977. He has had over 25 major group exhibitions and over 20 solo exhibits at Japan, USA and Bangladesh.