In quest of the bohemian guru, SM Sultan
Talking about the Guru, Mamun says that though Sultan's paintings are familiar among people, he remains shrouded in mystery. Many are aware that Sultan lived with birds and animals in a village. "He used to have snakes, badgers, frogs, ravens and wild hen as his pets. I have brought in his bohemian life in my pictures and depicted the birds and animals that he chose to live with. He had no following of his own. His life was a controversial one. His paintings were very different from that of his contemporaries like Zainul Abedin and Quamrul Hassan. He made paints and canvases of his own from items available in the villages. Unfortunately sometimes they were ruined with time, like his paintings of the late '70s and '80s."
"He believed that our farmers and fishermen were the source of strength of the country and so he portrayed them with bulging muscles when in reality they were often faced with floods and famines. These muscles, in a way, were symbols of an inner strength, which was the source of their constant struggle. Again, his paintings presented a bird's eye view so that one can see the farmer, his land with the domestic animals, trees, rivers, boats, birds and fish," adds Mamun.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. On the zoo that Sultan made at Norail, on the banks of the river Chitra, Mamun says that they contained a bear, a monkey, various types of birds and dogs along with snakes, which went about free. During an exhibition in his village, poet Jasimuddin was the chief guest. Jasimuddin felt something cold and soft on his feet and on examination found a snake. The surprised people cried out at which SM Sultan said that they would not harm people. Sultan caught the snakes and put them in a box. He had no windows or doors in his room; he used hurricanes for light and drank water from the river.
"While people kept books and gift items on wall racks, he kept his pet animals and birds," continues Mamun. He woke up to the cry of his pet birds, as he kept no watch or clock. When he went for days on end to photograph his subject, Mamun was compelled to spend the night on a mat on the floor with the strange creatures. To the curiosities that surrounded SM Sultan, Mamun added that the artist always wore a wild flowing black cloak that had been gifted to him by artist Sadequain from Pakistan, who was his student.