Fareha Zeba reflects our turbulent society in her paintings

A composition from the Sufia Kamal series

Stressing on her transition over 25 years for creating melancholic

Composition, rather than the optimistic ones that one found in her a student artist, Fareha explains that her departure from an optimistic outlook is due to the socio-political and economic upheavals in life around her, in Bangladesh, and Dhaka in particular. She says that she is now more aware of the acute needs of women and children in particular-- specially the abused and the abandoned ones. She is concerned with the superficial values of the Dhaka bourgeois, and attempts to stir her viewers, so that they become aware of the prevailing, grave socio-economic situation , and are moved to take some action.

" My changes came 14 years back. It isn't as if I can't create contented images and themes. It's just that when I think deep about the problems of individuals and the society around me, and the vicissitudes of life in general, I have to restrain myself from lyrical landscapes or portraits laced with contentment. When, at that time, a saw a young woman with her acid burns on her face I was compelled to make paint her tormented face," says Fareha.

Next, Fareha says, that during the political upheavals that followed, which made the women, young and old their mouthpieces, and got them involved, willy-nilly, in the stampede for political agitation. As a consequence, Fareha points out, the women suffer both in public and private. The relative lull of the mid '70s political scenario is over, she says. Now, she says, the women are definitely more involved and motivated in all aspect and that leads to more complexities, suffering and frustrations. Similarly, economically too, the artist says, the women have gone forward in the career world : but the burdens on their shoulders have only increased, she insists.

Earlier, in 1985 she exhibited mostly black and white etchings. She had to cry "hoa" to graphics, due to the lack of a personal print-making machine, the pressure of her long hours of teaching ,and her responsibilities as a home-maker. She moved on to acrylic and water-colour. The latter gave her ample satisfaction as it can be executed quickly. Having a penchant for plywood textures, she then moved on to mixed-media in her next exhibitions. Fareha is happy with her use of acrylic as it lends depth like oils and is done quickly yet forcefully.

When she did the Fida Kahlo and Sufia Kamal series in the recent past, Fareha had her teacher Shahid Kabir's teaching in mind. He had made her realise, back in the late '70s, that what is apparently common can be presented a unique way. Safiuddin Ahmed and Mohammed Kibria, who were her later teachers , had taught her a wealth of techniques. AK Alamgir, who is now in Canada for decades, gave her further thirst for the subtlety of the latest western compositions. Since her Masters' she has been endeavouring to be something different from the normal fine arts stream. Fareha has never been fascinated by quick sales. Her heart craves for the approval of the senior teachers of Fine Arts Dept. DU, and some sense of self-satisfaction.