Inspired by nature
Quayyum, as a student of the Dhaka Art College in the early '70s, and the Chittagong University, had Rafiqun Nabi, Mahmudul Haque, Rashid Chowdhury, Devdas Chakravarty and Murtaja Baseer as his teachers. "At different times I've had different masters in mind such as Chagall, Picasso and Dali." the artist says. " I haven't always dealt with nature. Once I dealt with social pressures. It's now that I've gone in entirely for the simple and exotic." He has been a teacher of drawing and painting in Chittagong for 30 years.
In one of his paintings, Golden kernel, one feels one is confronted with a half of a jack-fruit or pineapple , dissected and coloured with the hues of paradise. Heart of nature has seeds and the fleshy centre of what appears to be both a fruit and flower . "These exotic living things are a symbol of pulsating life," says the artist. Column with leaves, brings us to more eastern plants and their fleshy leaves that appear to be swaying and dancing with colours. The leaves are reddish, blue and green while the glistening tree branch is black and gray.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. A section of the exhibition contains paintings from Bandarban. Heart of nature, an oil, again deals with leaves. The beautiful, tiny, purple flowers that you find in the grass are elaborated in Wilderness. Another picture of colourful leaves is seen when they are held against a purple moon and are bathed in orange and yellow. Yet another painting is a delineation of hyacinths seen with myna birds. Travelling vendor brings in a human figure with a basket of fruits and vegetables. Alone on a seashore depicts sea-shells on a banana leaf on the beach, with the moon, skies and the beach on the backdrop.
The figure work that has been included in the exhibition appears to be floating in a dream. The portrait of a woman has her carrying a water vessel; the man is playing a flute; the bullock cart with the newly weds sways homewards. The paintings have lotus, moon and tiny birds included in the composition.
Quayyum often makes sketches for his paintings in his sketch book and develops them later when he moves on to the canvas. He enjoys both watercolour and acrylic, and oils have been his passion for decades.
Quayyum has won six awards including the Shilpakala Award in the 12th National Art Exhibition. He has had three solos and many group shows overseas and at home.