Of Man and Earth
Syed Jahangir
gvwU I gvbyl Of Man and Earth
Syed Jahangir Celebrating his 80th birth anniversary
2 - 13 November 2012 Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts
solo painting exhibition
gvwU I gvbyl
Of Man and Earth
Syed Jahangir Celebrating his 80th birth anniversary
Published by
Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts House 42 . Road 16 (New) . Sheikh Kamal Sarani Dhanmondi . Dhaka 1209 . Bangladesh Phone: +[880 2] 8123115, 9113115 Fax:+[880 2] 9146111 Email: gallery@bengalfoundation.org Web: www.bengalfoundation.org/gallery
Cover : Dialogue in Motion Acrylic on canvas . 115 x 115 cm . 2010 Design ARK Reepon, Emon / Bengal Foundation Photograph Mizanur Rahman Khoka Printing Graphosman Reproduction & Printing, Dhaka
Dialogue in Motion . Acrylic on canvas . 115 x 115 cm . 2010
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Passion of a lifetime: paintings and drawings of Syed Jahangir S. Manzoorul Islam University of Dhaka
Syed Jahangir turns 80 on 2 November 2012. For anyone who enjoys good health, to touch 80 is certainly something to celebrate, but it is even more so for a creative artist like Jahangir who continues to paint with the same energy and imagination he did forty years ago. As if to prove the point, Jahangir has put together 80 of his art works for an exhibition titled Of Man and Earth. The exhibition is partly retrospective, since it includes some drawings and paintings from 1950s to 1970s, but most of the work has been done in the last few years. The rich collection of acrylics, oils, watercolours, ink, charcoal and pencil pieces speaks of the versatility and dynamism that characterize Jahangir's work, and his enduring love for nature, particularly the rivers and open fields. The exhibition also shows how Jahangir's growing focus on the synergy between man and nature which vitalizes the everyday life of people living in the villages. Urban life is something that lies at a comfortable distance from the rivers and fields, unable, for the moment, to spread its tentacles into the unencumbered land and rieverscapes. Despite his avoidance of the urban milieu, however, one feels that the paintings and drawings are a nostalgic wish fulfillment of someone who has seen the inevitable march of urbanization which now threatens to encroach into the rural territories. The faint anxiety of such a possibility apart, however, the works are pure celebration of the joy of life, and the transforming magic of nature. Syed Jahangir in his long career has constantly evolved from style to style, from one artistic preoccupation to another. As one of the earlier works and a few drawings in the exhibition show, he was once interested in the geometry of things, in the subtle workings of the inner landscapes – both of the human mind as well as objects. He once had a semi cubist phase, and experimented with surrealistic imagery. Then there came a phase, much later, in which he picked up calligraphy and used its elements to create subtly mystical compositions. More recently, he has gone back to figurative portrayal and narrativistic compositions. In the late sixties, he briefly got interested in what appeared to be anamorphic compositions with a different layer of paint beneath what he put on the canvas. The deeper layer only revealed itself in places, and had to be imagined. It thus suggested life's entanglements and overlapping complexities remind the viewers. It is not surprising that one of Jahangir's series of paintings was titled Inner Structures. As his early drawings show, Syed Jahangir is both at home in figure and abstraction. In many of his paintings, abstraction is a natural choice for the expressionistic feelings and moods they evoke. But his natural sympathy for men and women whose daily struggle cannot take away their simple enjoyment of life – their laughter and geniality – impacted on his expressionistic canvas, shedding its sombre properties. Indeed, as Jahangir began to move to the great life that flows in the vast rural tracts – in the villages, in rural market places, in the ethnic hill tracts where peaceful communities live – his abstraction became more nuanced and poignant as it began to assume a celebratory poise. Eventually, his abstractions began to accommodate a suggestive presence of figures. And finally, as in the last two decades, Jahangir's canvas has been dominated by figures and landscape features. Two ubiquitous presences now are the sun and the moon, which oversee the world of work and leisure, daily activities as well as moments of romance and togetherness. As he began to shift gears, Jahangir picked up a palette of deep, pulsating and resonant colours. Besides his favourite blue, which he uses to suggest depth, as
Ferry Boats-II . Ink drawing . 35 x 55 cm . 2009
well as expansiveness, he now applies a lot of yellow and gold which stand in a pleasant contrast to blue and green. Yellow and gold represent the colours of the harvest (thus evoking feelings of plentitude), the sun and the warmth that nature exudes. These are reassuring presences in a world of flux which often means deprivation and alienation for the village folk. Thus blue green, yellow and golden are, to Jahangir, elemental colours that reflect both continuity and reassurance. If the exhibition shows the evolution of a thinking and feeling artist, it also brings forth the artistic and technical talent of Syed Jahangir. He has long been known for the finesse and mastery with which he executes his watercolours – in fact his early water-colours, done at home and USA in the late 1950s, brought him critical acclaim from connoisseurs. The watercolours in Of Man and Earth show why he is regarded as a leading practitioner of the medium in this country. The transparency, luminosity and thoughtful application of colours easily bring out the effects he intends. The works done in acrylic also show Jahangir's ability to suggest depth beyond what the eyes see, and shifting perspectives as the works evoke dreamy distances. The drawings in the exhibition are a class by themselves. Done with a spatula, the series of forty or so exquisite works are delicate yet sure in execution, and show a richness of detail which is not easy to bring out without the use of brush or nib point. The drawings also revolve around the same themes – the earth, rivers and fields and the life that goes on in the villages. Jahangir is a passionate artist of the great outdoors, and the drawings show how easily he relates to the rhythm of nature and life. As viewers' eyes move from painting to painting, from drawing to drawing, the feeling of a flow, of continuity, of an ongoing involvement with the life of things becomes dominant. I certainly hope that he continues to enjoy good health, paint and enrich our art world with the same zest and creative energy that he has shown all these years.
Necessity of Life? Acrylic on canvas 77 x 77 cm 2012
Fishing in Shallow Water Acrylic on canvas 122 x 122 cm 2012
Living On the River Acrylic on canvas 76 x 76 cm 2012
Fencing the Riverbed Acrylic on canvas 71 x 89 cm 2012
Mother and Child Acrylic on canvas 122 x 122 cm 2012
Equal Strength-II Acrylic on canvas 122 x 122 cm 2012
On the Move Acrylic on canvas 92 x 92 cm 2012
Rabindranath Tagore Acrylic on canvas 75 X 90 cm 2012
Sunset on River Acrylic on canvas 92 x 122 cm 2012
Eroding River-II Acrylic on canvas 87 x 112 cm 2011
Abandoned Boats Oil on canvas 30 x 30 cm 2008
At Rest Oil on canvas 30 x 30 cm 2010
Fishing – II Acrylic on canvas 92 x 92 cm 2011
Fishermen at Work Acrylic on canvas 91 x 91 cm 2011
Towards Destination Acrylic on canvas 92 x 103 cm 2011
Equal Rights-I Acrylic on canvas 92 x 103 cm 2011
Intimacy Acrylic on canvas 79 x 100 cm 2011
Romancing in Moonlight Acrylic on canvas 114 x 87 cm 2011
Fishing in Moon Light Acrylic on canvas 76 x 82 cm 2010
Moonscape Acrylic on Canvas 77 x 92 cm 2009
Fencing the River Acrylic on canvas 71 x 89 cm 2011
Fisherman Acrylic on canvas 91 x 91 cm 2010
Thirsty Acrylic on canvas 77 x 77 cm 2009
Patient Wait Acrylic on canvas 92 x 92 cm 2009
Eroding River Ink & watercolor 42 x 60 cm 2010
Wayfarer-I Watercolor 38 x 49 cm 2009
In Rain and Flood Acrylic on canvas 61 x 61 cm 2006
Planet Moving Oil on canvas 30 x 30 cm 2004
Vibration Etching 30 x 24 cm 1980
Harvest Ink & watercolor 52 x 32 cm 2006
Portrait of Sayeed Ahmed Pencil drawing 47 x 32 cm 1959
Portrait of my Cousin Charcoal drawing 48 x 35 cm 1974
Easy Climb Ink & watercolor 35 x 53 cm 1957
Self Portrait-I Ink drawing 44 x 30 cm 1958
Carpenter Ink & watercolor 35 x 53 cm 1956
Happy Dream Gouache 36 x 55 cm 1956
Fishing Ink drawing 35 x 52 cm 2011
Necessity of Life-II? Ink drawing 34 x 51 cm 2011
Top : The Ride . Etching . 15 x 20 cm . 2011 Bottom : Against the Rain . Ink drawing . 35 X 52 cm . 2011
Syed Jahangir Born in 1935 at Satkhira, Bangladesh
Education 1955 : Graduation in Fine Arts from the Govt. Institute of Arts and Crafts, Dhaka* Solo Exhibitions 2012 : Of Man and Earth, Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts, Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010 : ABC Convention Center, New York, USA : Bangladesh Embassy Gallery, Washington DC, USA 2007 : 'Of River and Earth', Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts, Dhaka, Bangladesh 2005 : Saju Art Gallery, Gulshan, Dhaka, Bangladesh 2003 : Saju Art Gallery, Gulshan, Dhaka, Bangladesh 2002 : Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts, Dhaka, Bangladesh 1999 : DD Gallery, Gulshan, Dhaka, Bangladesh 1997 : Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh 1995 : Society of Formative Arts, Kuwait 1994 : La Galerie, Gulshan, Dhaka, Bangladesh 1993 : La Galerie, Gulshan, Dhaka, Bangladesh 1990 : Metropole Hotel, Karachi, Pakistan 1982 : B.D. Hall, Tala, Satkhira, Bangladesh : Municipal Corporation Hall, Khulna, Bangladesh 1978 : Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh 1970 : Hotel Metropole, Karachi, Pakistan 1968 : Galerie Co-op, Rawalpindi, Pakistan : Arts Council Gallery, Dhaka 1967 : Art Gallery, Islamabad, Pakistan 1965 : Society for Contemporary Arts Gallery, Rawalpindi, Pakistan : French Club, Multan Fertilizer Factory Project, Pakistan 1964 : American Club, Mangla Dam Project, Pakistan : Galerie Co-op, Rawalpindi, Pakistan : Metropole Hotel, Karachi, Pakistan : French Club, Multan Fertilizer Factory Project, Pakistan 1963 : American Club, Mangla Dam Project, Bangladesh : Arts Council, Karachi, Pakistan 1962 : Arts Council, Rawalpindi, Pakistan 1960 : Gordon College Auditorium, Rawalpindi, Pakistan 1959 : Casbah Restaurant, Dhaka, Bangladesh 1958 : Arts Club of Washington, Washington DC, USA
1957
1956
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Bonwit Teller Gallery,Philadelphia, USA Alliance Francaise, Karachi, Pakistan British Council Library, Karachi, Pakistan British Council Library, Dhaka, Bangladesh Chittagong Club, Chittagong, Bangladesh USIS Library, Chittagong, Bangladesh
Group Exhibitions 1952-12 : Participated in over hundred national and international exhibitions in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Egypt, USA Pakistan, Turkey, Germany (GDR & FRG), Zimbabwe, Malaysia and Canada Professional Experience 1962 : Planned, designed and fabricated the first ever Mobile Industrial Exhibition on Wheels in Pakistan 1959-74 : Planned, designed and fabricated a number of pavilions and floats in National and International Industrial Fairs 1964-71 : Established a commercial art gallery, “Galerie Co-op” in Rawalpindi, Pakistan 1966-71 : Instructor in Painting at the Pakistan Arts Council, Rawalpindi 1981-91 : As Member Secretary, organised five international art exhibitions “Asian Art Biennale” in Dhaka, , Bangladesh 1977-91 : Worked as Director, Department of Fine Arts, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka Awards 2011 : Hamidur Rahman Award, Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010 : Lifetime Achievement Award by Berger Bangladesh 2005 : Shashi Bhushan Honourable Award : Sultan Smrity Gold Medal 2000 : Michel Modhusudhan Academy Award 1992 : Bangladesh Charushilpi Sangsad Honour, Shilpacharya Zainaul Abedin Birth Anniversary, Dhaka, Bangladesh 1988 : Satkhira Press Club Award, , Bangladesh 1985 : Ekushey Padak (one of the highest State Awards of Bangladesh in the field of Culture), Bangladesh 1975 : Honorable mention Award at the National Art Exhibition, Dhaka, Bangladesh 1958 : Leaders' and Specialists' Exchange Grant by the US Education Foundation USA Public Collections National Art Gallery, Dhaka; National Museum, Dhaka; Banga Bhaban, Dhaka; Bangladesh Bank, Dhaka; Bengal Foundation, Dhaka; Bangladesh Biman, Dhaka; American Express Bank, Dhaka; Janata Bank, Dhaka; BRAC, Dhaka; Export Promotion Bureau, Dhaka; Kyoto University, Japan Private Collections (Selected) M. Syeduzzaman, A.M.A Muhith, Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Abul Khair, Col. A.F. Matin, Saber Reza Karim, Faruq Ahmed Choudhury, M. Munir uz Zaman, Enam Ahmed Choudhury, Nurul Qader Khan, Hasnat Abdul Hye, M. Asafud Dowlah, Mokammel Huq, Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, Masum Ahmed Choudhury, Qamar Hussain, Shahab Satter, Aziz Mohammad Bhai and others in Bangladesh. Geoffrey Hadley, Geoffrey Glaister in the UK, Gayford Hoftizer, Merrill Miller in the USA., Prof. Dr. K. Yajima and Prof. Dr.Kaida in Japan, and many other private collectors abroad Commissioned Works Eternal Bangladesh Mural - Ceramic Tiles , 8 x 38 ft and Oil paint on board, 6.5 x 23 ft, 1988 at Janata Bank (Principal Office), Dhaka Language movement to Liberation war, Ceramic Mosaic, 12 x 28 ft, 1996 at Bangladesh Bank, Khulna Present Position Freelance artist
*Presently Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
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Syed Jahangir Celebrating his 80th birth anniversary
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