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Pessimistic but Indelible Vision of Life and Livinq

by Fayza Haq
GS Kabir did not go to Paris. as was scheduled a few months back. Advised by the French Cultural Secretary, Kabir obtained a Japanese Monbusho scholarship. to study at the Osaka University of Foreign Studies, and later at Kyoto City University (established in 1880). He did 350 paintings while in Japan of which he exhibited 70 at the Dhaka National Museum for four days, ending on August 25th.
Winner of ten significant awards' — such as the gold , medal for the best entry at the 5th Asian Art Biennale, held at the Bangladesh Shllpakala Academy, and the '86 National Award: with four solo exhibitions at Japan and Bangladesh and forty-seven combined exhibitions at home and overseas — Kabir had held his audience Spellbound yet again.
Speaking about contemporary art In Bangladesh. Kabir said. There Is a lot of difference between work done abroad and the ones here. In many cases, in Bangladesh the artists have presented the soul pitch In a marvellous manner, which Is absent, sometimes, in more advanced countries, both in the east and the west. Nevertheless, tn modern technique we are undoubtedly lag glng behind tn Bangladesh
When asked about his future plans after his studies abroad
and his possible settlement for all times at home at Dhaka. Kabir revealed that he hoped to set up a research centre with young students who had graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts. Dhaka.
As in his exhibitions seen earlier in Dhaka. Kabir had remained preoccupied with the problems of the downtrodden. and was deeply concerned about the indifference and lust for power and money by the well-to-do. The subject of the artist s paintings and collages had remained the forgotten and deprived masses of Bangladesh. He remained haunted by Images of the halfstarved people in the slums and the roads of Dhaka: the violence that prevailed In the capital city, by the muggers and the politically motivated.
The purpose of Including the artist's earlier work at the Dhaka National Museum exhibit. was to remind the people of the work that he had done, so that the viewer."* would be aware that his work from Japan was only an extension of the work he had done previously in Dhaka. He hoped to return next year and hold in exhibition In Bangladesh tn '93. he did not want a conflict between the earlier works, and I lie future show that he had in mind
Dwelling on hl* studies at Kyoto. Kabir said that he was
truly content with what he was learning about from and the handling of materials. He also enjoyed to the hilt the ability to experiment at will.
Kabir did not formally Inaugurate his works, as he had no patience with formalities Nel thcr were his works for sale. In his display, he wanted the
people of Bangladesh to view his works and get whatever message they could derive from it.
The artist . termed his paintings "life and fantasy" and gave none of the works a name or number, in one of the Items from a set of a series, one found old cfoth. sponge, metal
squares and wax put together to delineate the condition of life tn Bangladesh. The white sponge in the backdrop held symbols of "Plus" and "Minus" to represent the vicissitudes of life.
In that piece Kabir had used different colours and forms, to depict the varied social conditions of the people, differentiating their sexes and ages. Mankind s feelings were represented In the college of the white heart tn the forefront which, in turn, was depicted as almost disappearing in the waves of water. The college was an interesting blend of colours and forms, and well represented the present situation of the life of some of the people of Bangladesh
About the next piece th* artist insisted "Our feelings and sympathies are lost or dying " There was a sea-greep cut-out flower motif. The blue and purple of the different fig urcs were to denote the different individualities. The gorgeous pattern at the back, which continued In the forefront in scraps of burnt silk images stood for lost standards of ethics among many In Bangladesh.
In another entry was shown people tugging one another with a gold piping. The flower motifs in beige and purple, with blue heart patterns, were
seen in the background. A tall Image in green, with paisley motifs plastered on was seen in the extreme left. These were simply impressions of mankind.
The figures in front in yet another piece had the family theme with the child kept In a plastic case. "A child has to be protected all its life." the artist explained. The figure in green too symbolised disharmony The flowers in the backdrop were depicted as floating away: the calyx in the right forefront was shown as a geometrical form — dropping and gradually disappearing.
More interesting than I he rest perhaps the entry which was yet again a collage, with Japanese handmade paper as the background, silver paper and burnt cloth. Kabtr had tied the images with a copper wire. The red colour was used to symbolise a target and bloodshed. There was black for contrast. Falling heart patterns In the foreground stood, re peatedly. for destruction and degeneration.
In the unique exhibition of the portrayal of people like slum dwellers, rickshawpullers. "razakars". drug addicts, the lackadaisical bourgeoisie, the suffering students and oppressed average women of Bangladesh, there were many more entries stressing the theme of "Wasteland".