Printmakers nonpareil
In "Untitled-1" are some sketches in black with cross motifs and trailing lines with more lines in softer tones and splashes of gray. In "Untitled" is a composition of splashes of sepia tones, one placed upon another with smudges and dots against a background of white so that there is a remarkable feeling of playing with space. In "Untitled-5" there is a splash of pale gray on dark gray, combined with black, with a square placed in the middle which reminds us of infinity. His other "Untitled" has a burnt umber slab with a parallel burnt sienna form at the bottom, in a manner in which two contrasting colours balance. The effect of embossing has come as a visual image due to the impact of the manner in which the printing machine has been used. There is a minimization of colours, gray with black, and gray with white. Kibria's favourite game, in many of his prints and paintings is playing with black and gray, as Rafiqun Nabi puts it. He has undoubtedly excelled in his presentation of pale, mystifying colours in both painting and print making.
Mohammad Kibria was born in 1929 and graduated in Painting from the College of Arts and Crafts, Calcutta, India in 1950. He has studied Painting and Graphics at Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music, Japan. He has studied under the famous artist Hideo Hagiwara (1959-1962). He is, as present, a professor at the Institute of Fine Arts, DU.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. In Monirul Islam's "Castle on the beach" we find the printmaker's perfection with etching. He goes into minute details and fascinates his viewers with his lines and colours. Monir is an artist who has tried to present something new in every one of his exhibitions. In this composition the artist has combined red and yellow, two contrasting colours. At the bottom are some triangular shapes in yellow ochre, which could represent sand castles, beyond which is the vast expanse of the grayish yellow sky plus the mysterious sea. The evocation of the vastness of nature has been done superbly and the pencil lines in the background lent mystery and interest. Some human figures have been included in the composition in the forefront in simplified geometrical forms to tighten the composite structure.
"Forest dance" brings in tree trunks in yellow, emerald, indigo and shades of more blue with outlines in gray and black. The forms, chopped at the top, appear to dance and sway against the sepia and gray backdrop, which has minute texture work to make the flights of fancy take wings.
Something quite mind-boggling and in continuation with some of Monir's past exhibition is the "Tunnel of time". In this we find lined up compasses of different shapes, sizes and periods and through the element of compasses, which navigators have used over the centuries we appear to walk through the pages of time.
Monirul Islam, has been an art teacher at the Dhaka College till 1973 after which he went to Spain on a scholarship. He has been living and working in Spain since 1969 and has won many international acclaims.