Entertainment Report :
The Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA), Dhaka University (DU)
celebrated the birth centenary
of Shilapaguru Safiuddin Ahmed, the pioneer of Printmaking in the country, through two-day various events on June 23 and 24 on the FFA campus of DU.
The memorial festival featured the ceremony of ‘Shilpaguru Safiuddin Ahmed Sommanona-2022,’ commemorative seminars, the inauguration of a special exhibition, cultural events and
a rendezvous of artists from
different artistic backgrounds,
said a press release.
As part of the birth centenary celebration of Shilpaguru Safiuddin Ahmed, the ‘Shilpaguru Safiuddin Ahmed Sommanona-2022’ was awarded on Friday to seven eminent Bangladeshi artists by the FFA and Department of Printmaking of DU. Eminent Printmaker Kalidas Karmakar (posthumous), artist Professor Mohammad Kibria (posthumous), legendary cartoonist Professor Rafiqun Nabi, Bangladeshi-Spanish artist Monirul Islam, artist Professor Mahmudul Haque (posthumous), artist Shahid Kabir and artist Professor Abul Barq Alvi received this prestigious award, presented by DU Vice-Chancellor in charge and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Professor Muhammad Samad on Friday at the Bakultala of the Faculty of Fine Arts, DU. The crests were received on behalf of the late artists by Mohammad Kibria’s son Nashrid Kibria, Mahmudul Haque’s wife Shikha Mahmud, Kalidas Karmakar’s sister Sanchita Karmakar, and Shahid Kabir’s niece Maliha Masud.
Dean of the FFA Prof Nisar Hossain, artist and son of the Shilpaguru Ahmed Nazir, Chairman of Durjoy Foundation Durjoy Rahman Joy, Convener of Shilpaguru Safiuddin Ahmed Birth Centenary Celebration Council Professor Rokeya Sultana and Member-Secretary Professor Anisuzzaman spoke at the ceremony.
A commemorative seminar was held after that at the Osman Jamal Auditorium of the FFA, joined by eminent artist and cartoonist Professor Rafiqun Nabi as the chief guest. Shilpaguru’s son artist Ahmed Nazir, Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin’s son engineer Moinul Abedin, Director of Fine Arts Department of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Syeda Mahbuba Karim, DU FFA Dean Professor Nisar Hossain were present as special guests at the seminar, while Chairman of Department of Bangla of DU Syed Azizul Huq was present as discussant, who shed light on the Shilpaguru as a journeyman, fostering Bangladeshi art.
Following the seminar, an exhibition titled ‘Poromporay Chhapchitra’ was inaugurated at the Zainul Gallery I and II and at the artwork collection room, featuring artworks created by 170 eminent and aspiring artists such as Somnath Hore, Quamrul Hassan, Mohammad Kibria, Aminul Islam, Murtaja Baseer, Bijan Choudhury, Devdas Chakraborty, Hamiduzzaman Khan, Rokeya Sultana and Nisar Hossain. Several artworks of the Shilpaguru have been featured in the artwork collection area, including an oil on canvas piece titled Portrait of Hamidur Rahman and wood engraving works titled Santal Women, On Way to the Fair, among others. The exhibition will continue till June 30.
Earlier on Thursday, different departments of the FFA including departments of Printmaking, Drawing and Painting, Graphic Design, Oriental Art, Craft, History of Art, Sculpture and Ceramics, alongside several art organisations including the Bengal Foundation, Gallery Chitrak, Gallery Cosmos, Safiuddin Shilpalay and Department of Fine Arts, Jagannath University, among others, paid tribute to the artist by placing floral wreaths at his grave.
