This 1983 tapestry is one of the many great works of Rashid Chowdhury in which geometry assumes a central role. He was the pioneer of tapestry in Bangladesh who successfully blended the traditions of the delta with that of international modernism. He popularised tapestry in a country where its status as art had never been acknowledged before his interventions. He searched for fresh themes and worked on them with an honest aesthetic intent. In terms of design and colour, the artist devised a unique approach recalling traditional iconography and a set of key learnings from the Parisian avant garde. His unique compositions, which he developed using geometric and botanical fragments and unique colour metrics, distinguished his works from the rest of the regional modernists. This particular work where the fragmented elements are set against a light backdrop, helps to understand his commitment to striking a harmony between forms and colours. In this piece he relies on black, white, light brown to develop his final imagery while crimson and azure lend the composition a touch of joy. Inspired by organic forms like vegetation, flowers and plants, he creates a shattered image infused with the power to excite collective imagination.
Rashid Chowdhury
Rashid Choudhury was a second-generation artist of Bangladesh and is primarily remembered for his pioneering work in textile. He was at once a tapestry artist, painter, writer and pedagogue. Born on April 1, 1932, at Haroa, Faridpur (now under Rajbari district), Rashid Chaudhury studied art at the Dacca Art School, later renamed the College of Arts and Crafts and now Faculty of Fine art, University of Dhaka. After obtaining first class in his bachelor’s examination in 1954, Chowdhury joined the art school as its faculty. He later went to Spain and France on scholarships, where he trained in sculpture and tapestry. Choudhury returned to Bangladesh in 1964 only to find that his marriage with a French woman made him ineligible for the teaching post he had held in Dhaka’s first modern art institution. He later played a pioneering role in Chattogram through his initiative to establish the art faculty at the Chittagong University in 1969. He served as its chairperson till 1981. As an artist he straddled the line between western modernism and the traditions of his land with ease. Though western artists influenced him, his Bengali heritage led him to explore the possibilities of jute in art. He is considered a modern master for his pioneering role in art. Rashid Choudhury received Ekushey Padak in 1977, the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh. He also received the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Award in 1980. His tapestry was featured at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Rashid Choudhury died at the age of 54 on 12 December 1986.
Untitled Tapestry
Untitled Tapestry
This 1971 tapestry is one of those early works through which Rashid Coudhury comfortably brought the spirit of Modernism closer to the cultural memory of the delta. The iconoclast in him takes the upperhand as he splinters the entire space into fragments. This technique would evolve over the years and his attention would gradually veer away from the sombre, atmospheric composition that we are witness to in this particular composition. The dark background as well as the glowing red and orange that dominate the work seem to refer to floral motifs. They appear flame-like, adding a magic touch to the surface by alighting the work and unleashing an emotive force that often gets lost in technicalities of the process. Though the patterns applied are abstract, akin to geometric fragments, they also at times give the illusion as if we are looking at natural elements. In this work a tree seems to be in full bloom with a number of birds hovering over it. By providing an immersive experience, the image seems to push the viewers beyond colours, forms and composition, into experiencing pareidolia.
Art Style
Rashid Choudhury’s style stemmed from his modern understating of space and form which bore down on the way he chose to negotiate the image through fragments. He popularised tapestry as an artistic medium in the Indian subcontinent through his modern compositions. Having developed a unique approach to tapestry, the artist built his entire oeuvre around the idea of cross-pollination, a process through which he spontaneously melded the local with the global. The shapes and forms that together go into his ecology have always been inspired by village fairs, puja pandals and a flurry of botanical references. His works on oil, tempera, watercolour and various other mediums were also built on the same aesthetic principle, in which the idea of two dimensionality and geometry collided with the cultural memories of the delta.
Gallery
Title: Adam-4
Size: 92 X 68 inch
Year: 1985
Size: 57 X 40 inch
Year: 1979
Size: 70 X 53 inch
Year: 1971
Title: Adam-3
Size: 73 X 50.5 inch
Year: 1983
Size: 62.5 X 47 inch
Year: 1990