Rejuvenating tapestry
Asked about his patrons Tajul Islam says," Strangely enough, they are mostly local people who appreciate the abstract work on reversible tapestries. They recognise this as fine art and use my pieces as wall hangings. After 35 years, the local buyers are well-exposed to modern creative work in rugs and hangings. They admire the fact that I've taken my inspiration from folk art, other elements of cultural heritage, the local landscape around me and projected them in my own way. Many viewers and connoisseurs too are aware of the fact that I've been inspired by Rashid Chowdhury, who introduced tapestry as a creative modern art in Bangladesh. My colours and lines, along with my composition naturally have my gurus's impact "
Tajul Islam's work in a carpet factory and a mill, have aided him in mastering the weaving art. He is guided by his rhythmic sense of colour and sunny disposition. Flamboyant and seldom flustered, he is now free of the bindings of a work place schedule and immersed himself in freelance work aided by his weavers, Syed Ahmed, Yasin and Mohsin, among others. These weavers take his design to their homes in the district areas. He tells them what colours to use, and hands them coloured paper tracings to follow.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Most viewers are captivated by the manner in which Islam depicts flora, fauna and other elements in the environment. The recurrent objects in his work are lyrical trees, in pulsating brown. This is blended with the colours of vegetation, such as variations of idyllic greens. These are done in earthy hues and touched with powder blues and startling blood reds. The western Cubist masters like Pablo Picasso have influenced him greatly, so that, at times, we get the recurrent appearance of the lonesome guitar, in subtle, muted blue. The lashings of dramatic black make the subjects stand out, as they are combined with egret white. Of course, the tree formations could also be seen as faces and figures of human beings, seen from different angles.
After the sudden death of his wife, Tajul Islam devotes his time to the education of his growing children and his passion for painting and gouache, along with his love of tapestry in his studio. He has won two awards from the BATA Shoe Company and the Baghdad-Dhaka Carpet Factory.