2001 KAZI SALAHUDDIN AHMED ' A Brush with Reality Solo Painting Exhibition 3 to 16 August 2 0 0 1 La Galerie Alliance Francaise Dhaka, Bangladesh 13 to 30 September 2 0 0 1 Seas Art Gallery Adelaide, Australia Cover Du,k Oil on paper ,i l' X 16" Bo<:k Cover Threo4en1r,g sky -10 Mixocl med10 ,i I' X 15' Photograpf.er �oruq Helal # Compuler Gropli>c Mooor, Graphic Scan Lid Prrn!ad Graphtone Printer Reality, Reflections and the Avenues to Expression Koz: Solohucldm, o self-lought and a prolific artist, has always been m mnmcre terms with his surroundings The spectacle, �=1 r-ie dilop.dcrecl lenemenls and the crumbling structures of Old Dhaka present, among which he lives and works, are observed wi:h c �<c-'=-, eye and lransloted into pictorial dictions, The world that Sclohuddn- treads upon rs more m tune with subjective consrderotrons •.s-h,c·-c the severity and the bite of the real is sublimated to make way for the 1nd1v1dual expression But the residues of the real, whic,_ ere his vehicle, ore omrnpresenl in his domain and seem to speak volumes for lhe urban condmons unique to Dhaka. The subjechvrty of the artisl's vrsron olten invokes an elegiac mood But his elegiac tone does nol overwhelm us with pathos S_r certainly raise a few queshons aboul our human condrnons Salahuddin's images do not trigger fear or alarm as lhe all con.1um:n_; atmospheric gloom rs not there lo fill one wilh a sense of foreboding but to accentuate the drama of the real--wreckage, debr-s ere acting as slimulants--bolh visual and visceral. Sclchucldm throws a dramatic light upon the scenes of ihe aftermath exposing all -he scars left from lhe pasl inv1hng mterpretctrons and speculchor-s on the port of the beholder He acknowledges the real and reacts in a subtle way, Sense perceptions rather then intellectual probing ore brought into action to drscern and define his reality As such, he never ceases to take into reckoning the visual aspects along wuh the psychological 1olts tho; resol! from lhe artists intense encounler with his subjects the condition that also mjorms his sty�- He does not record the real but tries lo allude lo ii by means of extreme exjrusrons-borh menial and pbyuccl While canstruchng h1.1 elements Sclchuddm makes use of +he geslural aspecls of pcmtmqs. colours are an integral part of his rdrcm and they rorige from somber to vivid. If the end results are ory cue, during execution, al some pcmt. rhe reohst abdicates and the -orrorncut tokes on H1.1 usual signature images are rooted rn conjhct lhot takes place between lhe two poles of vrsron - the real and the mog1riory Perhaps lh1s 1.1 what makes his images so fraugh: with emolionol energy Salahuddin's relentless aggression, in last ten years or so. mro lhe crthtlc domrnr had produced works that before seeing a sleod7 pn;;g,1::iu'IQn ol 1;1 i,fylc,. i.tfv/!Jd 1;md br�ched cur in VQOOIJ! diroctior,1 bll"I \ll'l'fi!' no1 � lrui���. O! 11111::, li;icli; hlm tl,n;iu9h 1;11 good grounding m oil painting While search for outhentrc.ty wenl tin, It b ln th� mid '90,; �CII he oc,,nfa,tDhly ploc£d hlrn&Qlf on o firm footing with his landscape-like works on paper employing generous pair,t heavy brushworks and daubs and patches of spolulc lhot seems suitable for his subjects that explores features of lhe rornshorkle surrourdings and disorderly expansions of the city m the old port of Dhaka These works, done m oil, are also marked by their exporis.ve special projection that has become his main focus lately_ As his cityscapes had gradually been drvernhed over rhe years through mclusrcn of scenes from the city fringe-- showing vast fellow land and those almost dried out rnonhes that are strewn with garbage, m th11 exhrbincn the proficiency of his craft also permits him !o klhe on e fe,... f1EW' i:hclle� re!.>Jlfinij fri r,e-�r plctotiol >0luti0r11. Hi� ,omewhot � \�'are offM:t by tfia pres:enB oJ wczh thrct arfZDl' rni;n- lo rhtl i;rw;iniP'lli;nl'III fun;• cif �pgc-. CJ11d kirm� fnrrii 5'N)tive pawe, Iha! he,� Ir, hi, (i"f•pt;llntin91 1ei:m1 tg fuheir o lilde an �. 1oo fc:..- out cdventureL Heel he wbju,;11 boei,, Jor him, ju:st plcir, obie,:.b ·ol conlBnplaNOn It would ho..-.! bl!O:ln\� ortKukilffll In i;r lund13r IIQK�'ll, wese Cll'1 1he b.:.auty DI� rotl!1!n' lhtil'I 1he Man�, ma�! Qf th11:1 tim. rhll'/ rpi:ciJ. lie opt& jor ihe g:n,ff, ta»1Wi!!d Cll'li=i oho ft:Sc,ina!ins � ... that to a certain extend brings out the anguish and discontentment of on urbanite Bui does he portend terminality of h15 limes. Does hi1 •'Yfe tdl'1i1 tiF �ydiosocircil ar e'>'ffl exltt�al e);plC11,;itiQ11f Tei mgki;1 'rollrli;e of Salohuddin'� t:ocJr. of WOt:� ,orv. mar eo111\y � these questions unanswered, His works undoubledly tend lo appeol to the vieeel -t:tir'litd!!l'tltiom h;,1 Qa;I lhlil ..,leiW>3n into the v.ciniiy where psychotropic action rs in effect but one can indispulably conclude that the strenglh and breadth of meaning of his works surpass their empirical source, Whcire..,.l!lr 11M! � of Scikil11,dd[11"1 rt:$i9nim;lni IQ dHh.rln9 oed vored teOOt?tl('ie-1., ""°'t of rlin 1in1e, �c ro1:kn:in�, fn;im tl;>o: rool WQdd wrfuouJ 1:m:r�joc1ed jg penn1*100rt!i lei, t!tllik.m lo 11-ut \t,\Clrh:I wiltlin, Hll ,cilfflfillltic; i;.auldraratic,'1,!i ml:! llnl:ed uneqt,r,o.::o&, wirh fl!ferences, what may be considered k1lsch, as sub1ect matters, in h1Qhbr:ow ae�OC. ki, Sololiud&ni � Clfe 1;m ,i;i�lli moon, i:J expression. Mu5tafa Zaman ·- Urbonizotion·2 M1.-ed Med,a 15' .. 4 l" Ur'bcn,:ui1.on· I Mi .. ed Med"' 15'�.d 1' l�oftliac,rr23 Oil on Peper 21'�16" MMsoo� Memory 5 Mixed Mcd,o J. l -, 15' M.onsoon M.ornory 6 M,xd M�d«i J. l 'x I :l' Twd,ghtSymphony-1 M,�edM&d,c l.!'�11• Courtesy: i GRAPHOSMAN lmogeollhcci�·2J 01lonPa1"-'' 21'�16" lmog� of 11,e c,�·25 Oil on Po par 21 'xl 6' Image of the c,�·26 Oil on Popa, 2l 'xl6" Hou.eo!Memory-11 Oilo�Popcr �1"�16" -11 --_ • i.l..J-u-_...,.., Urbon lmc,ge 1 Oil on Poper 21 '>< 16' Whire Cherry Mixed Med,o 14"x11" 0 A. J. CORPORATION Courtesy. Shamsul Alamin Group lrnoge of 1f.e c11y 27 Oil on Paper 21 "xl 6" '.Ion soon Memory 7 O.I on Paper 21 "x 16" Mon,oonMemory8 Odar1Paper 21"xl6" Moo,oonMemory9 OdooPapcr 21"x16" lmogc of Ifie c1ly ·20 Oil on CC11wo1 36"xJ2' Urbon1mt1<>n·J Mi.sed Med,o l 5"xA l' lmog� of 1f>e c,1.,.. 18 M, .. ed Med,o 15· .. � I" Image of tho c,ty·J2 011 on P<apcr 16'�21' lrnogeoftheCil),-19 M,�edMedio 4l'xl5' Hoo1e of Memory-13 Mlxed Media � l ')l 15" Feshv,,j 2 Mixed Media 1.d'xl 1' Kazi Salahauddin Ahmed Born: 13th September, 1963, Dhaka, Bangladesh Education 1986 - M� International Relations, University of Dhaka. 1985 - Bss (hons.) International Relations University of Dhaka. Workshop 1999 - lndla·fkmgladesh Art Comp 9rganl:z.t:d by f<olka!o Narw::fank, India. 1995 - Mt,tti( Wotk$hop, Conducted by Sczcene Benton (JI Tho l��litvte- of Fine. Arts, University of Dhaka. 1989 - An Histary � Art Approdotiof'i Cour.M! Bcnglcx:I� Shilpokcfo Aaid1Jmy, Dhaka. AWard 2000 - 2nd Prize In Abstract and Surrealism, 25th Ann'l�rsary ln!ernotioncil Mln.ioh,ire Art Show. 1MSf1 Us.A. 1998 - Honorable Mention Award, 65th Miniature Pair,len., S::ufplure� Ami Grovers Sociefy of Wa�h.ir\QIOn D.C. USA. 1998 - 2nd Prize In Abstrnct Art and Surrealism, 1 !11 Tone International Minimure Art E,J,ibi!ion, lkirtgkwle1h 1997 · 1� Prize In Abstract Art 12th Georgia Miniature Art Inc. USA. 1996 - 4th Prize In The 12th Annual Juried Miniature Art Exhibition. Long Island USA. 1995 - Honorable Mention Award In The 10th Georgia Miniature Art Society Inc. USA. Solo Exhibition 2001- Seas Art Studios Arid G...illSC'y. Addoicle, Australia lo Gale�ie Allicnu- fror ni:o�. Df..i;ikQ. Bangladesh. 2001 - Birio of Ari mw;I cchure, Kolkata, India 2000 - Art Konsaull, � Delhi, India. 2000 - Solo Miniature Painting Exhibition, Gallery De Alliance Farancise, Dhaka. 1999 · Golle,y 21, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 1998 - Tourist Service Center, Katmondu, Nepal. 1998 · Sl,iohoo An Golle,y, New Delhi, lndlo, 1 997 • H. Cornl1)ission OF loclian Cultural Crmll!f Gollery� �- &onglc:ide�h 1997 • Ga lery De Allianr;;e frw1CC1ise.. Ohol,;a E.analadeiih. 199 .5 - Zoinul Gollaty, l,utitutc,. Of Fine ArtJ., Uf,�ty cl Dholcc 8cm9lada�h. 1994 · lo Galle,y Dhaka Bangladesh · 1993 • Gallery De Alliance Francaise, Dhaka Bangladesh, 1987 • T.S.C University of Dhaka Bangladesh. Group Exhibition 2001- 1st Young Artists Exhibition of Japan-Bangladesh. 2001- 4th International Exhibition of Minifure And Small Pictures, SAMAP, Fronce, 2001- Poper Mill Playhouse International Miniture Art Exhibition. Nj. USA 2001- 14th Naitional Art Exhibition of Bangladesh Shilpakalo Academy. Bangladesh. 2001- 1st Biennole Art Exhibition, Bangladesh Charushipi Sangsad nation al Museum, Dhaka, Bangladesh 2000 - Contemporary Art from Bangladesh, Exhibition in China.