Monirul Islam: A poet of canvas

TAKIR HOSSAIN

Monirul Islam, the very renowned Bangladeshi artist based in Madrid, Spain has come to Dhaka this year bringing with him all the flavour and the fervour of the blazing 60s of the 20th century, when he reigned supreme in our art milieu. During the 60s decade, among the number of outstanding painters who flourished in Bangladesh, Monirul Islam shone radiantly because of his remarkable originality in style and presentation. Intensely taken up with subtly experimentation, his quest for fresh techniques and forms has led him to explore novel approaches. It is this inclination, which has helped him to hold his position consistently in the forefront of the Bangladesh art scenario.

Monir as an artist, is easily recognised as he can translate life's diverse dimensions with his singular style, techniques and innovations into captivating works, where colours, lines, textures and forms blend in synchronisation. His works generally see a preponderance of mixed media, oil and acrylic. Monir's paintings are marked by the use of, at times, almost conflicting colours, but which nevertheless maintain a decorous juxtaposition as well as sensitivity of texture. There is also the veritable genteel touch of elegance ion his brush lines and the occasional livening collage ventures. Controlling his medium and technique with consummate mastery, he projects a special aesthetic and stylistic uniqueness. Monir works speak to us in an intimate voice about our childhood about the favourite chapters of our life built upon on the daily human bouts of joy, pain and boundless endeavours. The result is display of art centring on nature, human relationship and the meaning of life.

Derived from the natural world, the delicacy of his lines and the mind-boggling colours, is found to have evolved today into a more traditional style where gripping vivid abstractions weave stark realistic punctuation. The artist likes to work with different geometric forms, transforming them amazingly into tangible expressions of art. Right now that seems to be one of the prime characteristic in his works. An adorer of Nature, Monir tries to replicate Nature's colour synchronisation in his works according to the language of the Third Millennium. The space that is found to adorn his works is hierarchical in that the most important forms take precedence by position rather than by perspective, resulting in abstract relationships. Monir's enhanced use of the romantic background matched by sensual colours and remarkable themes turn the paintings with their abstractions of landscape, and the transparency of the mixed-media technique into sheer masterpieces of art. In his compositions, Monir uses little doodles, sharp lines, dots, tiny motifs and a lot of symbol.

From the beginning of his career after settling in Spain, he has been using paper as medium. This happened after his discovery that paper is something very mysterious for him. It enables him to place the complexities of life before the viewers with a different appeal from a different angle. Now he makes his own paper (hand made paper) for it provides the exact mysterious feel that has inspired him to work with it in the first place.

From the beginning of Monir's sojourn in Spain, he did many watercolors, which primarily focus on the unparalleled beauty of Nature. In the late sixties, Monir emerged as an accomplished watercolourist, with studies mostly of life on land and water. Before1969 - the day he left for Spain on a scholarship to study traditional mural - Monir was very much into painting, both oil and watercolour. Monir has done a few graphic works in Dhaka to get an idea of the method. Spain drew him into the enchanting world of etching and to which he later submerged his artistic faculty to gradually come out of his impressionistic tendencies and concentrate on different contemporary issues. That was a turning point in his life.

Over the last few years, whenever Monir visits Bangladesh, he uses as medium the folded paper that forms the base of the sweetmeat paper sacks. He came across this paper when on a visit to Chandpur. He started to think what the impact if he would use sweetmeat box as a medium. Then he started it and gradually, he has liked to work with this medium. He thought dirty paper provoked inspiration rather more than a piece of fresh white paper. He feels comfortable and this medium has been given him a pleasant feeling.

From his self-made niche in the art world of Madrid, Monir has gone on to win the most prestigious awards in Madrid, the Spanish National Grand Prize. A workaholic and charismatic character, Monir is always at work creating the off-beat with phenomenal improvisation and panache. By inventing new forms and exploring different themes, he has acquired a distinguished position in world art milieu.